Amid calls for liquor-free Tamil Nadu, Tasmac fixes growth target for liquor sale

CHENNAI: Worried over the fall in liquor sale, the Tasmac, the State-run liquor monopoly corporation, is taking the corporate route in search of better sales and profit.

At a recent high-level meeting, the top brass has decided to fix specific target for liquor sales. This came in the backdrop of a dip in revenue till July this year, compared to last year's figures in the same period.

A senior Tasmac official told DT Next that though liquor prices were increased from February 2024, the revenue from sales could not cross that of last year.

On an average, liquor worth Rs 100 crore to Rs 110 crore is sold across the day every day, which rises to about Rs 150 crore/day on weekends. However, there has been a fall in revenue in June and July, which has made the top officials to sit up and take note.

The total sales touched Rs 7,368 crore in June and July 2023. "However, the sales were down by about 4 per cent during the same period this year. Therefore, all liquor shops in the State were asked to increase sales by 5 per cent every month to achieve the target," the official said.

Citing an internal circular, the official said the sales officers were instructed to visit liquor shops under their jurisdiction to monitor the business. If the target is not achieved, these officials would face tough questions during the monthly sales meeting.

The pressure to perform is not only on these officials. "The salesmen at liquor stores who fail to achieve the target for two consecutive months would be issued a memo. If they fail improve performance, they may even be transferred,” the source said.

This has not gone down well with the staff, who pointed out that liquor shops are not like usual consumer outlets. “We can't force or lure the customers to buy extra liquor. This is ridiculous,” a liquor shop supervisor told DT Next.

Opposing the instruction to increase sales by 5 per cent, Tamil Nadu Government Tasmac Workers Association president AD Balusamy pointed out that the sale of liquor has come down drastically after the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy.

“Earlier, the sales target was met because almost all the shops would sell liquor in the black market. Now, however, this illegal sale is restricted due to strict monitoring by the police," he said.