In a sudden move, the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited or TASMAC as it is commonly known, has hiked liquor prices in the state, beginning Friday. According to the latest increase, beer would cost Rs 10 more than its current price. This latest hike comes five years after the price of beer was last hiked by the state government.
According to a report in The Hindu, Indian Made Foreign Spirits or IMFS would now cost Rs 10 more than the existing price per quarter bottle, that is, 180 ml. The hike in price of IMFS comes over two years after it was last hiked in October 2017.
The newspaper cites government sources as saying that the latest price hike would rake in an additional revenue of Rs 2,000 crore for the state.
The average price of beer ranges between Rs 55 to Rs 65 for a 325 ml bottle while the 650 ml bottle could cost anywhere between Rs 90 to Rs 140. Similarly, a 180 ml bottle of IMFS, which includes brandy, rum, whiskey, vodka, etc. ranges between Rs 100 and Rs 390, depending on the brand.
Recently, state-owned liquor stores across Tamil Nadu reported a whopping Rs 610 crore in sales over a three-day period during the Pongal holidays.
While the latest price hike makes alcohol dearer, tipplers in the state have also been complaining of outlets charging above the Maximum Retail Price (MRP). Following multiple complaints, in November last year, authorities launched a crackdown on outlets. With officials carrying out inspections in shops across the state, nearly 4,000 cases of violations were found. While 811 cases of MRP violations were registered in Chennai, Madurai topped the number of violations in the state with 1,042 cases.