CHENNAI: TASMAC liquor shops remained shut in Chennai and several other districts on Sunday as employees launched a protest against the implementation of the empty-bottle buy-back scheme, citing increased workload, lack of basic facilities and inadequate arrangements to handle returned bottles.

More than 50 employees took part in a protest outside the TASMAC depot in Ambattur, representing unions of Chennai district TASMAC workers. Shops were also reported closed in districts including Tiruvallur, Madurai, Erode, Karur, Vellore, Kanyakumari and Krishnagiri.

The implementation of revised liquor prices from November 1 ended the practice of collecting Rs.10 separately under the bottle buy-back scheme during the purchase. However, customers can continue to receive Rs.10 for returning eligible empty bottles, subject to verification.

“The government cannot suddenly implement a scheme without addressing practical difficulties,” said an employee. “The retail outlets lack sufficient space to store returned bottles. We were also required to scan the bottles multiple times. Either the TASMAC has to outsource private workers for this job or bring in automatic collection machines at all outlets. We cannot carry the burden of additional work,” the employee added.

According to the latest directive, the collection of empty bottles will be handled by staff deployed at each liquor outlet, with the bottles to be handed over to approved vendors until a reverse vendor is finalised through a tender process. As an interim arrangement, each liquor outlet within Chennai corporation limits will receive up to Rs 2,000 per day to manage the additional work. Outlets in other municipal corporations will receive Rs 1,800 per day, while those in municipalities and town panchayats will get Rs 1,600. Shops in village panchayats will receive Rs 1,500 per day. Consumers can return empty bottles at any Tasmac outlet and need not visit the shop where they purchased the liquor.

“We don't want the reimbursements,” the TASMAC employees say, who also questioned the government's failure to address basic facilities at shops despite employees having worked there for years. They cited the lack of toilet facilities and said their working conditions had not received adequate attention, even as the administration pushed ahead with the bottle-return scheme.