Vijay govt hikes TASMAC staff salaries by 25%, first revision in 20 years
The Tamil Nadu government has announced a 25 per cent salary hike for employees working at TASMAC liquor outlets, saying the move is aimed at
The Tamil Nadu government has announced a 25 per cent salary hike for employees working at TASMAC liquor outlets, saying the move is aimed at curbing corruption and preventing customers from being charged extra for liquor bottles. The decision marks one of the government's latest measures to reform the functioning of state-run liquor shops. According to the government, the salary revision is expected to discourage the practice of collecting an additional 10 per bottle from customers, a complaint that has frequently surfaced at TASMAC outlets. Read Full Story Explaining the decision, Minister Vignesh said the salary increase would ensure that employees no longer resort to charging customers more than the prescribed price.
The government believes better wages will reduce corruption and improve accountability across TASMAC shops. Vignesh also said such a salary hike had not been implemented for TASMAC employees in the last 20 years. The revised pay structure is expected to improve employee welfare while addressing long-standing complaints of overcharging. Further details on its implementation are awaited. The announcement comes months after Chief Minister Joseph Vijay ordered the closure of 717 TASMAC liquor outlets operating within 500 metres of places of worship, educational institutions and bus stands. According to the government, Tamil Nadu has 4,765 TASMAC outlets, of which 717 were identified for closure.
These include 276 shops near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions and 255 near bus stands. The closures were projected by the government as a social reform measure to reduce easy access to liquor in sensitive public spaces. The decision drew support from across the political spectrum. Actor-politician Kamal Haasan welcomed the move, saying the government should continue shutting more liquor shops and take greater responsibility for regulating alcohol sales. Congress MP Manickam Tagore also welcomed the decision, calling it a response to a long-standing public demand and saying it would improve the safety of women, students and the general public.
The salary hike is the latest in a series of policy decisions announced by the TVK government after assuming office, alongside measures such as free electricity for domestic consumers, a dedicated women's safety force and anti-drug units in every district. Ends
The BriefWire