After facing protests from shop workers, Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) is set to restart its empty liquor bottle buy-back scheme in Chennai this week. The decision comes after a review of past challenges to ensure smoother implementation this time. The scheme was halted due to worker protests citing inadequate facilities and increased workload.
Following a directive from the Madras High Court, Tasmac plans to submit a status report by the end of February. Despite ongoing court proceedings, officials aim to complete the rollout before the second week of February. Learning from past issues, Tasmac will now adopt a phased approach, covering North, Central, and South Chennai districts within a week.
Customers participating in the buy-back scheme will pay an extra Rs 10 per liquor bottle, which will be refunded upon returning the empty bottle to designated Tasmac outlets. This initiative, initially launched in hill stations to protect wildlife from discarded bottles, has been extended statewide. However, workers argue that the current workforce lacks the capacity to manage bottle collection effectively.
The AICTE-affiliated Tasmac workers’ union insists on engaging a separate agency for the buy-back process, citing staff shortages and inadequate infrastructure. Despite these concerns, Tasmac officials believe the phased rollout will address initial challenges. The balance between environmental goals and workers’ demands will be tested as the scheme resumes in Chennai this week.
