Tasmac cracks down on liquor overcharging at retail shops; third MRP violation to lead to dismissal | Chennai News

CHENNAI: Going harder on overcharging liquor buyers beyond the maximum retail price (MRP), the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) has revised its penal action to dismiss personnel at retail vending shops if they are caught violating the MRP norms for a third time.The revised disciplinary guidelines, issued through a circular by Tasmac on Friday, follow a Madras high court order dated June 12. The new instructions replace the corporation’s earlier circular issued in 2019 on action against employees selling liquor above the MRP, which was limited just to collecting penalty.However, under the revised norms, a supervisor, salesman or assistant salesman found selling liquor above the MRP for the first time will be suspended for one month without pay and fined. After the suspension, the employee must furnish a written undertaking not to repeat the offence and will be transferred, with headquarters’ approval, to another low-sales retail outlet within the same district.For a second offence, the employee will be suspended for three months without pay, fined and transferred to a liquor depot in the same district, where they must work for at least three months after reinstatement.A third violation will result in suspension, issuance of a charge memo and a departmental inquiry. If the charges are proved, the employee will be dismissed from service. No consolidated pay will be paid during the suspension period.The circular also mandates that details of suspensions and dismissals be entered in the employee’s Master Record. District managers have been directed to maintain a register of employees found guilty of overcharging customers, with entries authenticated by the district manager. To ensure uninterrupted shop operations, district managers have been authorised to fill vacancies arising from suspensions or dismissals by deploying other shop personnel from within the district with the approval of the senior regional manager.The circular also revises the penalty structure. For charging between Re 1 and Rs 9 above the MRP, a penalty of Rs 1,000 for every excess rupee collected, subject to a maximum of Rs 9,000, will be imposed. Sixty per cent of the penalty will be recovered from the employee who made the sale and the remaining 40% from the supervisor on duty.For charging Rs 10 or more above the MRP, a flat penalty of Rs 10,000 will be imposed. If no supervisor was present at the shop, the entire penalty will be recovered from the employee who made the sale.The corporation has directed all district managers to communicate the revised instructions to every employee, obtain their acknowledgement and maintain the records.