BusinessTuesday, October 27, 20262 min read

TASMAC bans cash for liquor bills above Rs 1,000

By Economic Times · Published by Everything Blog

In short

TASMAC has banned cash transactions for liquor purchases above Rs 1,000, with a phase rollout, to address safety and verification issues and maintain cash as the primary method for large transactions. Violations will result in disciplinary action against employees.

Key points

TASMAC has banned cash transactions for liquor purchases above Rs 1,000.: TASMAC has banned cash transactions for liquor purchases above Rs 1,000.
This move aims to address safety and verification issues and maintain cash as the primary…: This move aims to address safety and verification issues and maintain cash as the primary method for large transactions.
Violations of the new rule will result in disciplinary action against employees.: Violations of the new rule will result in disciplinary action against employees.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Quoting an official circular, a senior official from the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) said on Tuesday that the state currently operates 4,048 retail liquor shops.

"While options for UPI, debit, and credit cards are already available, a vast majority of transactions continue to happen in cash," he said, adding, "Handling large amounts of physical currency daily has created significant operational hurdles for shop staff, including safety risks during cash transit, account discrepancies, and the risk of counterfeit currency."

Stating that the state administration has received repeated public complaints regarding overcharging above the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), the official said transitioning to digital payment systems allows every transaction to be logged in real time with precise timestamps and amounts, effectively preventing overcharging and directly crediting sales revenue into official bank accounts.

The digital payment mandate will roll out in phases. From November 1, any single purchase valued over Rs 1,000 must be paid using digital modes such as UPI, debit or credit cards, he said.

"Customers purchasing within these limit amounts will retain the option to pay via cash or digital means. To maintain strict control, TASMAC has strictly banned staff from accepting payments via personal QR codes or individual bank accounts," he said.

Asserting that any violation of the new rule will result in severe disciplinary action against the concerned employees, the TASMAC official said, "The outlet supervisors are instructed to issue physical bills for every purchase and hand over liquor bottles only after verifying the transaction on official POS machines."

"To ensure smooth implementation, all shops will display prominent 2x3 feet notice boards informing customers of the rules," he said, adding, "The district managers have been tasked with auditing POS machinery, ensuring proper network connectivity, and conducting weekly reviews to oversee the transition."

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Original source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

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