Alcohol is a boon for some , a curse on a few , party material for the young and time pass for the richer old .Roadside workers , rickshaw pullers and other odd-job errand runners consume alcohol for the sake of [what they believe] physical relief . Some people are pitiably addicted to the habit hopelessly ruining their health and pulling the immediate family into financial duress .There is a huge ,interesting colourful cross-section of society which is found drinking in tasmac outlets at any given point of time [considering after hours blackmarketing ] .Though all this needs to be taken care of by holistic de-addictions, policy changes and thorough policing , the need of the hour is to tackle the high level and amount of corruption in the tasmac liquor vending outlets .
The tasmac staff are fleecing the customers higher rates than the mrp specified on the liquor bottles . The merrymaking group does not mind the extra rates charged but the tasmac staff end up leeching the poorer section by demanding extra money . This leads to a veiled but sophisticated begging by the cash strapped, inside the outlets. In some outlets the staff take a rounded-off amount for beer as it is served chill in par with star hotel permit rooms.The inventory of brands is also at the discretion of the shop supervisor so as to charge more on selected brands.It is also pertinent to mention that certain brands are hoarded in the outlets itself to be sold at higher rates during unofficial hours .The official and unofficial bar owners are the main instigators behind the tasmac staff as they enjoy political patronage and employ a few thugs around at all times. It is also believed that they rope in the local police personnel for leniency and to abet the late night business . The barowners add to the woes of the poor drinkers by unscrupulously charging exorbitant amounts for the highly contaminated water packets , unpopular bottled water and other substandard savouries that they compel entrants to consume ,that to banning any outside food material inside the [il]legal bar premises. Isnt it visible to us that not many seizures of spurious food happen inside tasmac bars by food inspectors? The parking of two wheelers and autos outside the innumerable tasmac outlets leading to chaotic traffic snarls, needs to be highlighted here.The traffic police are conspicuously absent in the area , surfacing only when they need to book a few cases for official auditing or during lean phases of the month to replenish themselves .The attendance of the shopstaff also is not properly maintained as all are not present during their duty hours , taking rotations in duty hours which are not specified in any rule book . Individual staff are also known to be involved in private businesses and take offs or french leave which are illegally sanctioned by the shop supervisors . Management and vigilance personnel in charge of monitoring the shop staff are taken care of by the shop staff with money and liquor . Tasmac shop staff allege that this mild extortion by them is to take care of their higherups ,handling breakages and tipping coolies who unload stock in the shops . There are regular heated arguments , and volatile confrontations between the staff and customers relating to this issue of charging more, giving rise to a very vulnerable law and order situation. Havent we seen staff being assaulted and stabbed? .
This is when the mediumly drunk customer sits totally drowned by questions as to who is responsible for reining in the arrogant [ temporary , consolidated pay] corrupt staff .Just imagine the common man's plight if these indisciplined group of educated youth withtheir self trained corruptcharacter are inducted into permanent government machinery , who also are known to threaten the public by dropping names of popular caste leaders.
The new incoming AIADMK government has been vested with all powers to deal with the corrupt in all echelons of our society .Let all of us bid them good luck and support from all sections .
