Bottle buy-back scheme in TASMAC shops to be prolonged if profitable, says Minister Muthusamy

Minister for Housing, Prohibition and Excise S. Muthusamy has mentioned the empty liquor bottle buy-back scheme launched by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) within the Nilgiris might be prolonged to different districts if it proves profitable.

The Minister, together with Collector S. Kandasamy, MLA V.C. Chandhirakumar, and Mayor S. Nagarathinam, launched the Chief Minister’s Thayumanavar Scheme at Thindal within the metropolis on Tuesday (August 12, 2025). The scheme goals to ship ration gadgets to aged residents and in a different way abled individuals at their doorsteps.

Speaking to reporters, he mentioned comparable bottle assortment drives might be undertaken in two or three extra districts, and if discovered efficient, carried out State-wide. Clarifying misconceptions, he defined that ₹10 isn’t paid for empty bottles, however collected over the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) as a refundable deposit, returned upon bottle return. To handle storage points, area at TASMAC retailers is being elevated from 100–200 sq. ft. to 500 sq. ft.

He famous that the Chief Minister is dedicated to steadily lowering TASMAC shops, with 500 retailers already shut, notably close to faculties, temples, and different delicate areas. Problem-prone shops are being relocated or closed.

Mr. Muthusamy mentioned a research on utilizing tetra packs is beneath means, however requires court docket approval. The determination might be based mostly on inputs from political events, the general public, and the judiciary.

Dismissing AIADMK common secretary Edappadi Okay. Palaniswami’s cost of income loss, he mentioned any overcharging for bottles was the non-public wrongdoing of people, not the federal government. Action has been taken in opposition to 451 workers concerned in such instances, together with withholding their pay hikes, the Minister added. 

In Erode district, important commodities might be delivered on to the properties of 1,01,953 beneficiaries (99,218 senior residents aged above 70 years and a couple of,735 in a different way abled individuals). These beneficiaries belong to 81,792 household ration playing cards hooked up to 1,263 honest value retailers throughout the district.