TASMAC workers submit a representation to the district administration in Salem on Monday
| Photo Credit: E. Lakshmi Narayanan
Minister for Prohibition and Excise K. Vignesh on Tuesday (May 26, 2026) said the Tamil Nadu government would formulate a scheme to collect used empty liquor bottles through an external agency and urged the protesting TASMAC employees to return to work.In a statement, the Minister said, as per the orders of the Madras High Court, a scheme to collect used empty liquor bottles was launched as a pilot project in the Nilgiris district in May 2022. Since then, the scheme has been implemented in all districts except Chennai, Tirunelveli, and Virudhunagar.During the implementation of the scheme, employees raised complaints about various practical difficulties. Stressing their main demand that used empty liquor bottles should be collected through an external agency, most TASMAC outlets in Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Tiruppur, Krishnagiri, and Dharmapuri districts remained closed on Tuesday, he said.Despite the Managing Director of TASMAC inviting all union representatives and assuring them that the grievances of the employees would be addressed as far as possible, the shops were not opened, he said.At this juncture, in line with the employees’ demand, a scheme to collect empty liquor bottles through an external agency would be formulated immediately and an affidavit would be submitted before the High Court, he added.The scheme would be implemented by the end of June, completely doing away with the present practice of employees handling used empty liquor bottles, the Minister said, urging all protesting employees to return to work from Wednesday onwards. Published - May 26, 2026 11:37 pm IST
