Bottle buyback scheme: HC suggests implementation across state

MADURAI: The Madurai bench of Madras High Court on Monday advised the government to implement Tasmac’s bottle buyback scheme across Tamil Nadu.

The scheme was introduced in hilly areas and Rs 10 was charged additionally above the maximum retail price from customers on buying a bottle of liquor. The additional amount could be returned when empty liquor bottles were surrendered back to the Tasmac shop.

In his public interest litigation petition, K Kalairajan, an agriculturist and former president of Pannavayal village, Ramanathapuram district, demanded closure of two Tasmac shops numbered as 6990 and 7035 located at Pannavayal village, Thiruvadanai taluk. The demand was already represented to Ramanathapuram Collector and District Manager, Tasmac on July 4, 2022. The petitioner further stated agriculture is the basic livelihood of the villagers, who largely rely on a tank (Aththani kanmoi), but those two liquor shops are located nearby the tank. After consuming liquor, drunkards threw empty bottles and other plastic wastes in the tank and on adjacent farm lands. Five years ago, the local villagers agitated and the Thiruvadanai police in 2017 filed a case and closed the two shops, but later on, they were reopened. Three temples were also located nearby those liquor shops, the petitioner said.

A division bench of Justice R Subramanian and Justice L Victoria Gowri, said it’s reliable since empty liquor bottles could be seen obviously in the tank and questioned the government counsel on whether the bottle buyback scheme is not implemented in Ramanathapuram. The counsel responded that the scheme was in effect only in The Nilgiris. The bench said the scheme has been successful and let it be implemented across state.