State planning Rs 10 on empty liquor bottles: Tasmac to Madras HC

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government is considering a proposal to impose an additional Rs 10 cess on liquor bottles as part of a revamped empty bottle buy-back and recycling mechanism, the Madras High Court was informed on Saturday.

To minimise environmental damage, TASMAC had introduced the buy-back scheme for empty liquor bottles in the Nilgiris and other hill regions. The scheme was later extended to other districts across the State.

When the case came up for hearing before the special bench comprising Justices N Sathish Kumar and D Bharatha Chakravarthy, K Nanthakumar, managing director of the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), filed a status report stating it has been proposed to include the refundable deposit of Rs 10 in the maximum retail price of each liquor bottle instead of collecting it separately from consumers.

The report further stated that the responsibility for the collection, transportation, recycling and environmentally safe disposal of empty liquor bottles would be entrusted to the respective manufacturers through a QR code-based tracking system.

TASMAC also informed the court that the Commissioner of Commercial Taxes has submitted a proposal to the State Government for the levy of the additional Rs 10 cess as part of the MRP, and that consequential amendments to the VAT Act and Rules are under the Government’s consideration.

It was further submitted that the associations of IMFS and beer manufacturers have, in principle, agreed to undertake the responsibility of collecting empty bottles. The matter has been adjourned by six weeks.