CHENNAI: For the first time, a liquor vending machine was installed in the elite Tasmac shop located in a mall in the city.
Tamac sources here said consumers could select their liquor of choice in the menu-driven vending machine.
Accordingly, after selecting the liquor, there would be a payment option whether the consumer opts for cash or online payment. Once the payment was made the liquor would be dispatched in a tray (pickup port), which was installed at the bottom of the vending machine.
A senior official from Tasmac said that the government has plans to install liquor vending machines in other elite liquor shops depending on the response from the customer.
He also pointed out that vending machines also keep drinks cold through the process of refrigeration. Once the desired temperature is set, the machine's inbuilt sensors maintain a steady temperature.
A Tasmac official said the whole process to get liquor from the vending machine takes hardly one or two minutes depends on the customer's request.
A visit to a mall in Anna Nagar where the vending machine was installed on Friday evening proved that it was not working from the afternoon.
On April 22, the State government stated that survey work has commenced for the closure of 500 Tasmac retail outlets in the State, which Minister V Senthilbalaji had announced earlier.
On April 24, taking a U-turn after announcing that liquor could also be served in marriage halls, the ruling government withdrew its decision and said that liquor would be served only in convention centers and commercial complexes besides sports stadiums.
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