The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) has introduced a new transfer and posting policy that will make employee rotation mandatory across its liquor retail network. The move is aimed at addressing staffing imbalances, improving workforce deployment and ensuring that all outlets have adequate manpower.
Approved at the 224th meeting of the Tasmac Board of Directors on 29 September, the policy comes into effect on 1 November, 2026. It applies to supervisors, salesmen and assistant salesmen working across all 38 districts of Tamil Nadu.
To support workforce planning, Tasmac will classify outlets into A, B and C categories based on average daily sales. A-category outlets generating Rs 10 lakh or more per day will require nine employees, including supervisory staff. B-category outlets with daily sales between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh will have a minimum of eight employees. C-category outlets with sales up to Rs 5 lakh will be staffed by five employees.
Under the new rules, employees who have completed three years at a particular outlet as of 1 November, 2026, will be compulsorily transferred. This marks a significant tightening of tenure norms. Earlier, reports had indicated that Tasmac was considering transferring employees who had remained at the same outlet for over 10 years. The new policy reduces that threshold to three years.
From 2028 onwards, Tasmac will institutionalise annual transfer counselling every April, with all employees completing three years at a location becoming eligible for mandatory transfer, creating a more structured and data-driven approach to workforce allocation.
As part of a one-time statewide manpower rationalisation exercise, district managers have been directed to identify outlets with excess staff and those facing shortages. Employees currently working in district depots and other offices instead of retail outlets will also be redeployed where required. The entire exercise must be completed by 30 November, 2026.
