Outlets of the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) Ltd across the state sold liquor worth 725.56 crore during Pongal holidays between Jan 13 and 16. This is nearly 46 crore more than the 678.65 crore of liquor sold during the Pongal holidays in 2024.

While the average daily sales through Tasmac was around 145 crore, the average daily sales over the three days rose by 67% to 241.85 crore. The sales, however, weren’t evenly spread across all three days, officals said. On Jan 13, a working day, Tasmac sold liquor worth 185.65 crore and on Pongal day sales increased to 268.46 crore. The next day, Jan 15, there were no sales as it was a dry day (Tiruvalluvar Day). On Thursday, Tasmac recorded sales of liquor worth 271 crore.

Since Jan 13, Tasmac sold nearly four lakh cartons of beer varieties and 8.5 lakh cartons of IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor). Almost all districts recorded higher sales but unlike previous years, Madurai region did not top the list with the highest sales despite comprising 10 districts, registering sales of 149.55 crore. Trichy region, comprising nine districts, topped the state with sales of 179 crore. The Salem region registered the second-highest sales with 151.50 crore in three days, while the Chennai region sold liquor worth 142 crore.

The Coimbatore region, comprising just five districts, registered sales of 102.35 crore. “Despite higher sales volume, some districts, most of them from the Madurai region, still show negative growth. Other regions have fared well,” said a Tasmac source.