TASMAC has suspended 245 shop supervisors and issued show-cause notices to 1,729 employees after most of Tamil Nadu’s state-run liquor outlets remained closed for a second consecutive day during an ongoing staff strike.
The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation, which operates the state’s liquor retail monopoly, said the disciplinary action covers several regions, including Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem and Tiruchirappalli. A senior TASMAC official disclosed the details on Tuesday.
The employees are protesting a newly introduced environmental and social welfare cess that adds Rs 10 to the price of each bottle. The additional levy is linked to a buyback scheme, according to the report.
The Chennai region recorded 169 suspensions from 341 show-cause notices. Within the region, Thiruvallur (East) reported 61 suspensions, Chennai (Central) 50 and Chennai (North) 58. The figures indicate that the administrative response has been concentrated across multiple operational districts rather than being limited to a single outlet cluster.
The Salem region received 459 show-cause notices, including 155 in Salem district and 153 in Namakkal. Krishnagiri recorded 75 suspensions. In the Tiruchirappalli region, 418 notices were issued, with 185 suspensions in Tiruchirappalli district and 175 in Pudukkottai district.
The Madurai region accounted for 475 notices. These included 247 in Tirunelveli, 120 in Madurai North and 101 in Theni. The report did not provide a separate regional suspension total for every area named in the administrative breakdown.
According to the figures released by TASMAC, 931 notices were issued on November 1 and another 798 on November 2. The notices and suspensions followed the closure of retail vending outlets while employees continued their strike.
TASMAC maintains that unauthorised closure of its outlets violates public service norms and disrupts operations. The administration has said that strict disciplinary measures will continue against personnel found responsible, with the stated aim of maintaining accountability across the state-run retail network.
The dispute places the operation of Tamil Nadu’s government-controlled liquor retail system at the centre of both a labour action and an administrative enforcement drive. For residents, the immediate effect is uneven availability of services at outlets across several districts, while the corporation’s next disciplinary steps will determine how the disruption develops.
