CHENNAI: The sale of liquor through the state government-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) has crossed the Rs 45,000 crore mark in 2023-24, registering an increase of nearly Rs 1,730 crore.

Moving the demand for grants for his department in the State Legislative Assembly, Housing and Urban Development Minister S Muthusamy, who holds the additional portfolio of the Prohibition and Excise department, said the sales, which stood at Rs 44,121.13 crore in 2022-23 increased to Rs 45,855.67 crore in 2023-24. The revenue earned from liquor sales has been increasing every year.

From Rs 33,133.24 crore in 2019-20, it marginally increased to Rs 33,811.15 crore in 2020-21 and went up by more than Rs 2,500 crore to Rs 36,050.65 crore in 2021-22. The increase in revenue was also due to the recent price hike announced by the state government.

Percentage wise the sales margin might be slightly higher when compared to previous years, as the sale of liquor through 4,829 liquor retail vending shops was one of the major revenue earners for the state government for funding its various welfare schemes. Muthusamy said the sale for the fiscal 2023-24 was Rs 45,855.67 crore.