Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (MS)

Udupi, Sep 24: The state government which is filling its coffers by promoting the sales of liquor is giving more importance to increase the sales of hard liquor or IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) and showing no interest in the sales of beer, which is mostly preferred by the alcohol lovers.

This means that the government is pressurizing the liquor vendors of the district to sell more hard liquor and the liquor vendors are planning to hold a protest against the government.

Partiality by excise department

It is learnt that the excise department itself is showing a partisan attitude. If a liquor vendor buys 100 boxes of hard liquor, then the department gives 40 to 50 box of beer. Consumers who go to the bars, drink hard liquor sometimes and prefer to have beer on other occasions. As the rate of hard liquor is increased, the demand for beer has gone up.

Vendors asked to buy more hard liquor

From the past two months, liquor vendors in the district are being forced to buy more IMFL. Due to the pressure from the excise department, the beer purchase by the vendors is decreased in the month of August 2018. In August 2017, 67,487 boxes of beer was purchased by the vendors in the district. However, the figure for August 2018 is 66,173 boxes only, which means a decrease of 1314 boxes compared to last year. In the fiscal year of 2017-18, there was an additional purchase of 8.83% of beer. Govindraj Hegde, district president of Wine Merchants' Association accuses that excise department will further curtail the beer purchase of the vendors in the month of September.

From April to August 2017, 5,94,129 boxes of hard liquor was purchased by the vendors in the district. The figure for the same period in 2018 is 5,85,507. So the purchase of hard liquor is decreased by 8622 boxes compared to the figure for last year. Out of the five months of April to August of 2018, more hard liquor was purchased by the vendors in the month of June and July (33,706 boxes) whereas in the months of April, May and August less hard liquor (42,328) is purchased.

Now the excise department wants to balance the less purchase of hard liquor in the months April, May and August by pressurizing the vendors to buy more hard liquor in the month of September.

Warning of protest

"We have sent appeals to the excise minister, commissioner, additional excise commissioner, deputy commissioner and deputy excise commissioner not to force us to buy more hard liquor. It is decided in the emergency meeting of the district liquor vendors that was held on Saturday, September 22 that the consumers will be apprised of the government's decision of not giving beer in sufficient quantity by displaying banners and boards. If the issue is not resolved, then we have decided to hold a protest urging the excise department not to force us to buy more hard liquor," said Govindraj Hegde, district president of Wine Merchants' Association.