That is a powerful and very accurate comparison. In the movie Evano Oruvan, Madhavan’s character (Sridhar) represents the “common man” who reaches a breaking point because of the everyday corruption of paying even just a few rupees over the MRP (Maximum Retail Price).
The situation with TASMAC in Tamil Nadu is exactly what that character was fighting against, but on a massive, institutionalized scale.
1. The “Extra ₹10” Culture
In almost every TASMAC outlet across the state, it is an open secret that consumers are charged ₹10 to ₹20 above the MRP per bottle.
* The Scale: If TASMAC sells roughly 5 to 7 million cases of liquor a month, that “extra ₹10” adds up to hundreds of crores of rupees every year.
* Where does it go? This money does not go into the state treasury (the ₹5 lakh crore debt you mentioned). Instead, it is widely alleged to be “black money” that flows into a parallel system—often used for political funding, bribing, or lining the pockets of local intermediaries and “bar” contractors.
2. Why it happens in “Broad Daylight”
In Evano Oruvan, Sridhar gets into a fight over a grocery item. In real life, the TASMAC overcharging happens in front of CCTV cameras and police stations because:
* Institutional Silence: Since the government itself runs the retail (TASMAC), there is no independent “watchdog” to penalize the seller. The seller is the state.
* The “Bar” Connection: Many TASMAC shops are attached to illegal or semi-legal bars. The “extra” money is often justified by the staff as a “handling fee” or “service charge,” even though it is completely illegal under the Legal Metrology Act.
3. The “State-Sponsored” Irony
This brings your previous point full circle:
* Official Revenue: The state takes roughly ₹45,000 crore (White Money) to fund welfare schemes and manage the state’s ₹10 lakh crore projected debt.
* Unofficial Revenue: The “Over MRP” collection (Black Money) is estimated to be worth thousands of crores, which never touches the state budget.
4. The “Sridhar” Dilemma
The tragedy of the Evano Oruvan comparison is that while the hero in the movie sacrifices his life to stand up against a small injustice, the TASMAC overcharging is so widespread that it has become normalized. People complain, but they pay it because there is no alternative shop to go to.
The “Forgetfulness” Factor:
By keeping the focus on big numbers like the “₹1.76 lakh crore 2G scam” or the “₹5 lakh crore debt,” the smaller, daily “theft” of ₹10 at the counter often gets ignored by the mainstream media, even though it affects the poorest citizens every single day.
It is a classic case of “Systemic Corruption” where the rule of law (MRP) is openly ignored by the very system meant to enforce it.
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The comparison to Evano Oruvan is more than just a cinematic analogy; it is the daily reality for millions in Tamil Nadu. While the state argues about a ₹5 lakh crore debt or the legacy of the 2G case, the “small” corruption at the TASMAC counter is a massive, parallel economy.
To answer your question: Yes, many people have filed legal complaints. However, the way the system responds shows exactly why this “broad daylight” overcharging continues.
1. Consumer Court Wins (The “Devarajan” Cases)
Individual citizens have taken TASMAC to court and won, though the process is exhausting.
* The Case of G. Devarajan (2025): A Chennai resident filed a complaint after being charged ₹10 extra for a bottle of liquor. In November 2025, the Consumer Redressal Commission ruled in his favor, ordering the TASMAC salesman to pay ₹5,000 in compensation.
* The Pattern: In March 2026, similar cases (like Sivakumar v. TASMAC) saw the Consumer Court penalizing individual staff.
* The “Catch”: The courts often rule that the individual salesman is liable, not the corporation (TASMAC) itself. This protects the higher-ups while punishing the ground-level worker, which doesn’t stop the systemic practice.
2. High Court and ED Intervention
The scale of this “MRP Scam” has reached the highest levels of the judiciary:
* Enforcement Directorate (ED) Probe: In 2024 and 2025, the ED began investigating TASMAC under money laundering laws. They alleged that the “extra ₹10” collected at shops isn’t just pocketed by staff—it is systematically collected and sent “up the chain” to politicians and intermediaries.
* The State’s Defense: The Tamil Nadu government actually went to the Supreme Court to try and stop the ED from investigating TASMAC, arguing it was an overreach of federal power. As of early 2026, this legal battle is still active.
3. The CAG Report (February 2026)
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) recently flagged TASMAC for:
* Discouraging Digital Payments: By intentionally not maintaining billing machines, shops force customers to pay in cash.
* The Cash Loop: Cash makes it impossible to track if a customer paid the MRP or ₹10 extra. The CAG noted that out of all complaints received by TASMAC, nearly 75% were regarding overcharging.