The controversy in Tamil Nadu caused by the statement about giving Rs. 10 for empty liquor bottles

Due to a recently enacted law in Chennai, India, there has been a significant demand for Indian Rupee 10 coins. According to reports, the new system of returning empty liquor bottles for a refund of 10 rupees each has created a huge demand for 10 rupee coins, which until recently were out of circulation.

However, this process has led to a severe crisis for 'TASMAC' liquor shop owners in Tamil Nadu, who are even forced to pay an additional commission to acquire 10 rupee coins to give to customers.

Recently, severe unrest has erupted in TASMAC liquor shops, centered around this 10 rupee issue. The two main reasons for these conflicts are charging an additional 10 rupees above the stipulated price when selling a liquor bottle, and then returning that 10 rupees to the customer when the empty bottle is returned. To alleviate this situation, the newly elected government intervened and pressured employees, resulting in approximately 50% of the liquor shops that previously charged extra now selling liquor at the Maximum Retail Price (MRP).

Nevertheless, arguments and altercations between customers and vendors in some shops have not completely ceased. A video showing a customer assaulting an employee at a liquor shop located at the foothills of Kolli Malai in Namakkal district has gone viral on social media. Commenting on this, shop owners state that they are forced to charge an additional amount to cover extra expenses such as shop rent, losses from broken bottles, and loading and unloading charges.

On the other hand, the inability to find enough 10 rupee coins to implement the 10 rupee refund scheme for empty bottles is a major problem faced by vendors. Although the 10 rupee coin, which was disregarded by everyone a few years ago, has received a new lease of life due to TASMAC, vendors now have to pay an additional commission of 100 to 150 rupees to obtain 1,000 rupees worth of coins. A shop with a daily turnover exceeding one lakh rupees requires at least 5,000 10 rupee coins, and this requirement further increases for shops with higher sales. Although TASMAC management has been requested to facilitate easy access to 10 rupee coins through banks, the management has not yet granted proper approval, leaving shop owners in great concern and discomfort.