Ahead of Deepavali, the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (Tasmac) has instructed bars attached to its retail vending shops to be reopened from November 1.
A notice issued by L. Subramanian, Managing Director of Tasmac, to all senior regional managers and district managers mentioned that all standalone bars that are attached to the liquor retail vending shops (except in containment zones) can open from November 1, between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., following Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued for controlling COVID-19.
The bars were closed down after the second wave of COVID-19 early this year.
Experts who were tracking the liquor market closely in the State pointed out that this move would help bring in additional monies into the coffers.
Salesmen from two different outlets in Chennai told The Hindu that Deepavali was one festival during which liquor sales peak. During Deepavali last year, Tasmac netted ₹465.79 crore in revenue in two days. On the day of the festival, liquor worth ₹237.91 crore was sold.
On the day before Deepavali (November 13), Tasmac registered sales worth ₹227.88 crore. In 2019, the State government fetched ₹355 crore from the sale of liquor during Deepavali and the preceding day.
Tasmac has also laid down a series of protocols and norms that need to be followed at the bars once they resume operations. But a visit to some of the Tasmac outlets showed that even basic norms are not being followed, and people continue to crowd at the counters and stand in groups right outside the shops and consume alcohol.
The person in charge of an outlet in T. Nagar said handling tipplers at the counter itself was difficult, and advising them to follow rules at the bar would certainly be a tedious task. He pointed out that one of the guidelines called for maintaining physical distancing of 6 feet and seating arrangement had to be done with adequate distancing, which was impossible to monitor while drinking.
“After drinking, people will not be in a state to listen to or follow what we say,” he added.
Fresh tenders called
The board of Tasmac has authorised all district managers to call for fresh tenders for the purpose of granting permission for sale of eatables and to collect empty bottles in the bars attached to retail vending shops.
The bar eatable licence contract period ended on September 30 in 35 districts, and ends on October 31 for three other districts.
Tasmac officials said the existing licenses would be extended up to December 31 or up to the date of finalising of the fresh tenders, whichever is earlier on the existing terms and conditions.
On an average Tasmac sells liquor worth over ₹130 crore to ₹140 crore per day through over 5,300 shops across the State.
