One of the initiatives that the garment manufacturers in Tirupur knitwear cluster look forward to from the new Government is implementation of the promised liquor prohibition in phases.
Concern
The concern of industrialists’ gains significance as the very high levels of liquor consumption in the cluster seems to have an impact on productivity.
“We feel that the government should not waste much time in phasing out liquor sales as alcoholism is affecting apparel production and the schedules to execute the orders before the deadline. Many workers practically turn up for only four days a week,” said M. P. Muthurathinam, president of Tirupur Exporters and Manufacturers Association.
According to the statistics obtained by The Hindu from Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), total liquor sales through 250-odd TASMAC-run outlets in the district was Rs. 1,477 crore in 2015 (calendar year).
The lion’s share of the turnover was generated from the 100 TASMAC outlets situated in Tirupur Corporation limits that hold the knitwear cluster.
“Almost 80 per cent of the liquor sales revenue from the district always come from brandy which is the most preferred by the workers”, a TASMAC official said.
The business graph on liquor sales has been steadily rising since the formation of the district in 2009.
Turnover
The turnover in 2009 from the district was just Rs. 732.9 crore.
M. Velusamy, an apparel exporter and state council member of Confederation of Indian Industry, feel that at least as a first step, the authorities should shift the liquor sales outlets from the knitwear cluster to the suburbs.
“Availability of liquor in plenty, as 100 shops out of the 250-odd shops in the entire district are situated in the knitwear cluster itself, will only generate tendency among the workers to consume the same in the wrong pretext of overcoming mental stress and family problems”, pointed out some entrepreneurs.
