Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) is set to float online tenders for fresh bar licences in the second week of August, as the state-owned liquor retailer moves to overhaul facilities and service standards at bars attached to its outlets across Tamil Nadu. The licensing exercise marks the most significant structural reset for Tasmac bars in recent years, with modernisation initially targeting major urban centres.

Cities First in Modernisation Drive

The revamp is expected to begin with bars in Chennai, Tiruchy, Madurai, and Coimbatore. Tasmac is considering embedding minimum infrastructure and customer amenity standards directly into the new licence conditions, making compliance a contractual obligation for successful bidders rather than a voluntary improvement.

The move is a direct response to persistent customer complaints about conditions at existing Tasmac bars. Documented grievances include inadequate sanitation, insufficient seating, substandard food quality, absence of safe drinking water, and poor parking facilities — basic shortcomings that officials acknowledge have gone unaddressed for too long.

Cooking on Bar Premises: A Policy Shift Under Consideration

One of the more consequential proposals under review is the possible lifting of a longstanding ban on cooking inside licensed bars. Currently, the use of stoves is prohibited on bar premises. However, inspections have reportedly uncovered violations at several establishments, and bar operators have repeatedly sought formal permission to prepare food on-site.

Tasmac is now examining whether cooking could be permitted subject to defined safety and hygiene requirements. Officials indicated that provisions on cooking facilities may be incorporated into the new tender conditions, though a final decision has not yet been taken.

Bottle Buy-Back Tenders Also in the Pipeline

Separately, Tasmac is preparing to invite online tenders for the collection of empty liquor bottles under its bottle buy-back scheme. The state government has directed the corporation to submit a comprehensive report covering both the fresh bar licensing process and the bottle collection arrangements.

Preparatory work for both tender processes is expected to be completed in the first week of August, with the tenders themselves to be floated the following week.

Background: Licences Extended After June Expiry

The fresh licensing exercise comes after a temporary extension was granted to approximately 2,600 Tasmac bars across the state. Existing licences had expired on 30 June, but operators were permitted to continue for two additional months to allow sufficient time for the new tender process to conclude. That extension is scheduled to lapse in August.

Successful bidders under the forthcoming tender are expected to receive fresh licences, with newly licensed bars likely to begin operations from September onwards. Whether the new framework delivers measurable improvements in bar conditions will depend on the rigour of enforcement once licences are issued.