Implement liquor bottle buy-back scheme across TN in a month: HC

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday granted a month to the state government to implement the liquor bottle buy-back scheme in all Tasmac liquor outlets functioning in Tamil Nadu.

The special bench comprising Justice N Sathish Kumar and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy passed the direction upon hearing a batch of petitions in connection with forest protection.

When the matter was taken up, the state informed that it has implemented the scheme in hill stations including The Nilgiris, Kodaikanal, Yelagiri, Yercaud, and Megamalai.

“Tasmac had received 71 percent of bottles back in the liquor bottle buy-back scheme. About 29 percent of people who bought liquor bottles by paying an additional Rs.10 had not returned the bottles,” Tasmac counsel submitted.

Recording the submissions, the judges asked what the government would do with the money got through the people who did not return the bottle. Reacting to this, the state said it has received about Rs.1.81 crores since 29 percent of buyers did not give back the liquor bottles. Tasmac also sought time to file an action plan on what to do with this money.

The government further sought three months to come out with a scheme to implement the liquor bottle buy-back scheme across the state. However, the bench rejected the request and granted only one month for extending the scheme to all the districts. The court also mooted the idea that the waste bottles collected from the customers shall be returned to the breweries. The matter has been adjourned to August 18.