Tamil Nadu Excise Minister V. Senthil Balaji dismissed the Enforcement Directorate’s charge of unearthing financial irregularities worth ₹1,000 crore in state-run liquor retailer TASMAC on Friday. The minister, who is already facing an ED probe in another money laundering case, said the state would face the matter legally.
VIDEO | Tamil Nadu Budget 2025-26: State minister Senthil Balaji briefs media in Chennai.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 14, 2025
Earlier today, the Tamil Nadu govt presented its Budget 2025-26 in the Assembly, a full-fledged exercise ahead of the state election next year, and made big allocations for its flagship… pic.twitter.com/iYtlxjMajI
Addressing presspersons, Balaji said the central agency has levelled a generalised allegation and there was no basis for its charges. Saying the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC) functions transparently, Balaji said the central agency hasn’t clarified which FIRs prompted the action and the state was ready to face it. "Legal action will be taken in the matter," Balaji said.
ED, Chennai has conducted search operations at various premises across many districts of Tamil Nadu on 06.03.2025 under the provisions of PMLA, 2002, for various offences related to Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC) and its associated entities/persons.…
— ED (@dir_ed) March 13, 2025
Accusing the ED of acting according to the whims of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Centre, Balaji charged once state BJP chief K. Annamalai alleged ₹1,000 crore in TASMAC, the ED “repeated the same”. Balaji asserted the tender process in TASMAC was transparent and there was no scope for irregularities in it. “The liquor procurement is on the basis of the last three-month and last month's sales and its average. "No concession is shown to anyone in procurement and the process is transparent,” PTI reported quoting the minister.
Also read
- Tamil Nadu: Why did Congress suspend secretary D. Selvam weeks before 2026 Assembly elections?
- Did Stalin's DMK give more seats to the CPI and CPI(M) as Seeman claims Kanimozhi is being 'sidelined'?
- Has BJP's influence grown in Tamil Nadu? Why the AIADMK alliance allocated 27 seats to party for Assembly polls
- Tamil Nadu assembly polls: How many seats will AIADMK contest as BJP gets 27
Balaji charged the ED was targeting the state as Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is pioneering protest against the Centre over the three-language policy and Lok Sabha delimitation exercise. “The Union government could not tolerate it and has misused the ED. Centre is attempting to create a bad name for the CM who enjoys the confidence of the people,” he alleged.
In a statement on Thursday, ED said it found "multiple irregularities" in the operations of TASMAC, including "manipulation" in the tender processes and "unaccounted" cash transactions worth Rs 1,000 crore through distillery companies. The ED probe reportedly stems from FIRs registered by Tamil Nadu’s vigilance bureau against irregularities in TASMAC. ED sleuths raided premises related to TASMAC and distillery owners reportedly for five days from March 6.
