TN state govt to market liquor
By Our Economic Bureau | 27 Oct 2003
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu state government has granted the right of retail vending of liquor to the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation, a government agency, and the cooperatives. The government has promulgated an ordinance in this regard.
This
decision has been taken to eliminate the cartels from
distorting the retail trade, and to prevent the sale of
contraband, non-duty paid and spurious liquor. The move
is also aimed at preventing malpractices like violation
of the maximum retail price indulged in by the private
retailers, all of which ultimately affect the public and
the state's revenues.
Private
retailers have been indulging in various malpractices
in the sale of liquor, a government press release said.
The government has taken steps to prevent these malpractices
and has announced a new system of selecting applicants
based on merit for the excise year 2003-04 to run retail
shops. The government has prescribed that only one licence
be given to an applicant in an attempt to break cartels.