Chennai, Nov 10:
State-run liquor retailer Tasmac recorded sales worth Rs 441.38 crore across its network in Tamil Nadu over the two-day Deepavali festive period, despite retail staff across several districts boycotting the empty bottle return deposit mechanism.
According to sales returns, outlets clocked business worth Rs 234.75 crore on Saturday (Deepavali eve) and Rs 206.63 crore on Sunday (festival day), comfortably surpassing the typical non-festive daily sales average of Rs 165.60 crore. Zonal performance charts placed the Tiruchy region at the top with Rs 98.97 crore in sales, followed closely by Chennai with Rs 95.85 crore, Madurai at Rs 88.38 crore, Salem at Rs 87.52 crore, and Coimbatore generating Rs 70.66 crore.
The two-day window saw store salesmen abstain from collecting used liquor bottles and issuing the mandated Rs 10 deposit refunds, citing acute space constraints and manpower shortages during peak festive footfalls. Consequently, the unrefunded amount was directly accounted for as a statutory environmental and social welfare levy within the maximum retail price, netting approximately Rs 38 crore in cess revenue for the state exchequer.