Bar owners and workers of Tasmac outlets on Monday laid siege to the house of V. Senthil Balaji, Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise.
Nearly 1,000 persons -- bar owners and workers -- gathered before the official residence of the Minister on DGS Dinakaran Salai in the morning, and staged a protest alleging certain irregularities in the awarding of tenders to run bars attached to Tasmac (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation) outlets across the State. They also held placards ridiculing the Minister.
N.Anbarasan, president of the Tasmac Bar Owners and Workers’ Welfare Association, said there were several irregularities in awarding of tenders, and favouritism was shown to a few in awarding contracts to run bars attached to Tasmac outlets. “We are running this business for two decades, and our livelihood has been affected since the contract has now been given to a few, at the insistence of the Minister and his brother,” he said.
The tender process was stopped in Chennai district last month.
“We demand that the tender process to be made transparent. There should be no political interference and the officials should be fair and transparent while conducting the tender pricess. All those who are in the business all these years should be allowed to participate,” said M. Balamurugan, secretary of the Association.
Representatives of the Association were allowed to meet the Minister who held talks with them. However, they continued to agitate in front of his house expressing dissatisfaction over the talks. Around 500 protesters were arrested and detained in wedding halls by the police.
