As a way of taking into consideration implementing environment-friendly measures as well as increase the bar on hygiene issues across the state, the Tamil Nadu government has been laying plans to sell liquor in tetra packs. This move comes after the state’s Prohibition and Excise Minister, S. Muthusamy announced the closure of 500 liquor shops or TASMACS, earlier in July this year. A team has been assigned to study the feasibility and logistics involved in executing the idea, after neighbouring states of Karnataka and Puducherry, as well as Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Goa, have already taken similar measures.
The plan of retailing 90ml tetra packs of alcohol was met with strong opposition from PMK leader Anbumani Ramdoss, who stated that students and underage children might mistake the packaging for non-alcoholic beverages like juices or milkshakes. However, the tetra pack portions of alcohol will be sold at a more affordable price ranging between INR 60-70, thus reducing the chance of buyers opting for country liquor that also has fatal side-effects. With the consent of all political parties within the state, the proposal was all set to roll out in a span of 4-5 months, once officially announced in July.
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Muthusamy, in an official media address had also pointed out that tetra packs cannot be adulterated unlike bottles, once broken or damaged, can cause harm to farmlands and the environment at large. He also expressed his concerns over the unsustainable costs that needed to be managed to clean up liquor bottles, while also stating that tetra packs are easier to handle. Additionally, the low packaging costs coupled with little to no chances of adulteration strike up a strong argument in favour of the tetra packs. The final decision to be taken as part of this proposal remains to be seen, as the citizens eagerly await the conclusion.