Over 300 Tasmac employees in the district on Monday (May 25, 2026) staged a protest by shutting liquor outlets, demanding the withdrawal of the empty bottle buy-back scheme.

According to employees, 183 outlets were functioning in the district earlier. As part of the bottle buy-back scheme, stickers were affixed on liquor bottles and an additional ₹10 was collected from customers during the sale. Customers were refunded ₹10 per bottle on returning the empty bottles.

Following the State government’s decision to close 39 TASMAC outlets in the district, only 144 shops are currently operational. Employees alleged that the closure of outlets had resulted in overcrowding at the remaining shops, which has increased their workload. They said the empty bottle return scheme had added to the pressure on staff.

Demanding the scheme be scrapped, employees attached to 144 outlets participated in the protest by closing shops across the district.