The Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, has approved a 25% salary hike for employees working at Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) liquor outlets, the first pay revision for the staff in nearly two decades.
Under the revised structure, a supervisor’s monthly pay rises from ₹17,850 to ₹22,313, while a salesman’s salary moves from ₹15,530 to ₹19,413. The government has also extended Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) benefits to TASMAC staff, who were previously excluded from the scheme despite working for a state undertaking. The decision covers employees across TASMAC’s network of 4,765 outlets statewide.
“The salary revision would remove the need for employees to collect additional money from customers and help improve public trust,” said K. Vignesh, Minister for Prohibition and Excise, explaining the rationale behind the hike.
The government has tied the pay revision directly to its anti-corruption push at TASMAC outlets, where customers have long complained of being charged roughly ₹10 above the maximum retail price per bottle. Officials believe better compensation will reduce the incentive for staff to overcharge. At least 40 employees were suspended over the past two months for allegedly selling liquor above MRP, and the minister warned that, going forward, violations would attract strict action, including dismissal from service.
The wage revision follows the Vijay-led government’s broader push to reform TASMAC’s operations, including its earlier decision to close 717 outlets located near temples, schools, colleges and bus stands as part of a social reform measure. The closures drew support from leaders across party lines.
