Chennai: The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac), the state government body entitled to sell liquor, is expected to fetch a revenue of Rs 1,000 crore during Diwali.
According to Tasmac officials, the liquor sale on Diwali (on Thursday) is expected to be Rs 250 crore while on the eve of the festival, it is expected to garner an amount of Rs 200 crore. The agency is likley to clock a revenue of Rs 1,000 crore from November 3 to 7.
Diwali, the festival of lights falls on Thursday, followed by an extended weekend and the state government body is expected to earn net revenue of Rs 1000 crore.
During the Covid pandemic in 2020, Rs 456 crore was collected during the four days of sale and sources have said that the state government body is expected to fetch more than double the amount as revenue this year.
A senior Chennai-based Tasmac official told IANS: “Diwali falls on November 4 which is a Thursday and there is holiday mood all around. So it will be sort of an extended weekend and we expect heavy sales from November 3 till 7 and our prediction is to touch the magical figures of Rs 1,000 crore.”
The pandemic had affected the Tasmac sales during the previous year. With the 272 bars attached to the 284 liquor outlets to commence functioning from Monday, the sale of liquor by tipplers consuming at bars attached to the shops will also be high.
Tasmac has extended the agreement with the contractors who run the bars attached with the Tasmac shops till December. The agreement was extended Saturday and the contract is only for selling eatables and collecting empty bottles from areas adjoining the shops. The new agreement, according to Tasmac Managing Director L. Subramanian is till December 31.
Despite the prediction of heavy rain ain several parts of Tamil Nadu including Chennai and its adjoining areas for most of this week, Tasmac does not expect it to hamper the sale of liquor.
The state-run body is expecting heavy sales in Villupuram, Virudhunagar, Chennai, and Tirunelveli districts.