Chennai, Nov 3 A simultaneous rollout of a mandatory empty-bottle buyback scheme and strict digital payment limits has plunged TASMAC outlets across Tamil Nadu into unprecedented chaos, resulting in operational disruptions, massive queues, and an abrupt worker strike.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior official from Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) on Tuesday attributed the “turmoil” to the November 1 implementation of a mandatory Rs 10 “Environmental and Social Welfare Cess,” which was added directly to the printed Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of liquor.
He said under this new model, consumers receive a Rs 10 refund upon returning their empty glass bottles.
However, the well-intentioned green initiative has severely backfired due to an acute infrastructure deficit and technical bottlenecks, he added.
Outlets completely lack the physical space required to store thousands of returned glass bottles, leaving salespersons complaining that they barely have enough room to stand, let alone manage rising stacks of empties.
Compounding the physical constraints are severe technical failures.
Sluggish handheld scanners and pervasive point-of-sale (POS) glitches have ground transaction speeds to a halt, severely agitating crowds.
TASMAC Workers Association General Secretary T Dhanasekaran stated that shop-floor workers are facing immense stress, technical hurdles, and direct confrontation with consumers due to a lack of basic infrastructure.
“The POS machines and bottle-scanning devices provided to the outlets are plagued by severe technical glitches, including network failures and poor signal connectivity. These recurring issues frequently bring operations to a complete standstill,” he claimed.
“Out of every 48 bottles in a single carton, several lack mandatory stickers, rendering them unscannable,” he added.
He further said that, frustrated by the overwhelming extra workload and the absence of dedicated logistics staff, contract workers abruptly closed nearly 10 per cent of the state’s 4,048 shops over the weekend.
However, the government responded with a swift crackdown, issuing show-cause notices to over 1,700 employees and suspending several workers, which further fueled social media rumours of widespread shop closures.
“Despite new strict rules, several salesmen were involved in MRP violations besides refusing to collect the empty bottles,” the TASMAC official said, adding, “Those have been identified, and action has been taken against them”.
The official also claimed that 98 per cent of liquor outlets were opened on November 3 across the State with many striking employees having returned to work.
To resolve the ongoing bottleneck, Prohibition and Excise Minister K Vignesh announced that the state is expediting the procurement of 4,048 Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs).
These AI-enabled smart recycling units will automatically scan bottle QR codes and issue automated refunds, a move the government hopes will permanently bypass store counters and restore order to the city’s retail lines, he added.
(PTI News)
