Chennai, 17 January (H.S.) : The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation, commonly known as TASMAC, has recorded a massive turnover during the initial days of the Pongal festival. According to official data released by the authorities, liquor sales across the state reached a total of 518 crore rupees within just two days of the festive season.

On the day of Bhogi, which fell on January 14, the corporation generated 217 crore rupees in revenue, while the sales figure surged significantly on Pongal day, January 15, touching 301 crore rupees. This performance is noteworthy when compared to the previous year, where sales reached 725 crore rupees over a longer four-day period.

A zone-wise breakdown provided by the TASMAC administration revealed that the Chennai region topped the list with the highest consumption, accounting for 98.75 crore rupees in sales over the two-day period. Following closely, the Madurai zone recorded 95.87 crore rupees, while Tiruchy saw sales of 85.13 crore rupees.

The Salem and Coimbatore regions contributed 79.59 crore rupees and 76.02 crore rupees respectively. Additionally, alcohol sales at various entertainment venues alone amounted to approximately 82.59 crore rupees during these two days. Currently, Tamil Nadu operates 4829 retail outlets with 3240 attached bars.

Despite the high figures, the government continues to monitor the distribution and sales closely to maintain order during the busy holiday season as residents celebrate the harvest festival.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary