Liquor set to cost more in Tamil Nadu from Feb 1: Check all the details

The prices of liquor sold by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) is set to increase from February 1, the administration has announced.

According to a release from Tasmac administration, "the excise tax on liquors is to be increased and therefore, liquor prices are to be increased from February 1."

Tasmac said the price of 180 ml of regular and medium-quality liquor will be raised by Rs 10. For 180 ml of high-quality liquor, there is a price increase of Rs 20. Similarly, a Rs 10 increase applies to 650 ml beers.

Tasmac is a state-run company, which oversees wholesale and retail sales of alcoholic beverages in the southern state. It was established in 1983 by then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MG Ramachandra. It is incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 and remains a hot topic during the election season.

Notably, the current DMK-led government has defended Tasmac saying that it’s not being used as a “cash-cow” as alleged by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Tasmac run to reduce liquor addicts - state government

Tasmac is run by the state government to “reduce the number of liquor addicts….fixing a target of garnering Rs 50,000 crore in liquor sales is also to prevent the illicit distillation of arrack…,” Tamil Nadu Housing and Excise Minister, S Muthusamy, had said last year during a press conference.

Notably, before the 2021 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, rival parties DMK and AIADMK promised a phased shutdown of Tasmac.

However, the sale of liquor in the previous financial year (2022-23) was Rs 44,098.56 crore and the same stood at Rs 36,050 crore in the 2021-22 period, according to the state government