Tamil Nadu: 25% salary hike for TASMAC liquor outlet employees to curb overcharging — See how pay increases

The Tamil Nadu government has announced a 25% hike in salaries of TASMAC liquor outlet employees with aim to bring in reform measures such as curbing corruption and overcharging at these stores, according to reports.

The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) has monopoly in liquor sales in the southern state. The reform includes regularising services of over 23,000 contract workers with the salary hike, as per a PTI report.

Notably, this is the first such salary hike for employees at these TASMAC liquor outlets over the past 20 years. Details of the rollout and implementation are still awaited. TASMAC sources had earlier today told PTI that the proposal before its board of directors includes comprehensive structural revamp.

The proposals included a substantial salary hike and an extension of the retirement age to 60. “If approved, the reforms will help the contract workers realise their decades-old demand and dream of getting their services regularised. They were recruited as contract staff when the state took over retail liquor sales back in 2003,” a senior TASMAC official told the news agency.

Salary hike for TASMAC employees: Check increase

The PTI report added that contract workers get what they called “meagre wages”.

• Shop supervisors get a consolidated salary of ₹17,800 per month — which will increase to ₹22,250 with a 25% hike.
• Salesmen get ₹15,300 per month — which will increase to ₹19,125 with a 25% hike.
• And assistant salesmen receive ₹14,300 every month — which will increase to ₹17,875 with a 25% hike.

Move part of reform measures to curb corruption

In a statement today evening, the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay-run government said the move seeks to discourage additional charge of 10% per bottle collected from each customer, as per a report by India Today. This has been a frequent complaint from customers at the TASMAC stores.

State excise Minister K Vignesh told reporters the pay hiked will give employees higher salary and dissuade them from overcharging customers above the printed MRP on liquor bottles, the report added. He also clarified that the government had no intention of privatising TASMAC.

The decision comes after the CM in May ordered closure of 717 of its TASMAC liquor outlets that operated within 500 metres of bus stands (255 shut), educational institutions (186 closed) and places of worship (276 downed shutters), as per an ANI report.

The decision was significant because TASMAC remains one of Tamil Nadu's biggest revenue-generating systems. The move was done keeping in mind the welfare of people, an official release said at the time.

The corporation has 38 district offices, 43 Indian made foreign liquor depots, 4,787 retail vending shops, and 2,362 bars attached to the retail vending shops, according to the 2025-2026 policy note of the Home Prohibition and Excise Department.

In 2025, the revenue from liquor sales in Tamil Nadu was ₹48,344 crore. TASMAC sells 551 brands of liquor imported from foreign countries, including 223 brands of wine being sold through licensed retail outlets.

(With inputs from Agencies)