Poll effect? Liquor sales in Vizag up by Rs 50 crore

Experts in liquor market and the Excise and Prohibition officials are analysing advance purchase of liquor and beer in view of the general elections.
For representational purposes (Express Illustrations)
For representational purposes (Express Illustrations)

VISAKHAPATNAM: Come elections and liquor flows like water. This is evident from the statistics. Liquor and beer sales in the district increased in the last one month. From February 1 to March 10, liquor and beer sales at wine shops and in the bars exceeded by around Rs 50 crore.

Experts in liquor market and the Excise and Prohibition officials are analysing advance purchase of liquor and beer in view of the general elections. Excise officials suspect that almost all liquor shops and political leaders are purchasing liquor in advance and they are stocking it at secret places.

Almost all 400 liquor dealers and 131 bars in the district purchased huge stocks in February and March this year which is more than 50 crore worth of booze bought last year during the same period. In February last year, 2,60,641 cases of liquor and 2,14,639 cases of beer were purchased by liquor dealers. This year, 3,07,246 cases of liquor and 3,02,799 cases of beer were purchased in February. Similarly, till the end of first week in March this year, 83,352 cases of liquor (81,622 cases for whole of March, 2018) and 89,139 cases of beer (91,437 cases for whole of  March 2018) were purchased. When compared to last year, this is 35-40 per cent higher in the months of February and March.

Election time action plan

Meanwhile, to check unethical practices in liquor sales and purchases at the time of general elections, the District Excise and Prohibition Department will implement a ‘special election time action plan’.
They will establish five temporary check posts in the sensitive areas of Odisha and Chhattisgarh-Andhra border. Three Intelligence teams will monitor illegal activities.

The department has set up a 24 X 7 control room at the district office with the toll-free number 2550241 and the people may pass on their complaints/grievances. “As per the information, there is no abnormal increase in liquor purchases and it is only around 5 to 6 % in the district. If it is more than the usual increase, action should be initiated on the illegal traders. With the announcement of schedule of general elections, the model code of conduct came into effect and accordingly we will implement the action plan to monitor the illegal practices,” said an Excise and Prohibition official.

T Srinivasa Rao, Deputy Commissioner (DC), Vizag Excise and Prohibition wing, said: “There are 17 Excise and Prohibition stations in the district.

We have formed three intelligence teams at Gajuwaka, Anakapalle and Visakhapatnam with special focus on distribution of illicit liquor and other fraudulent activities. In view of the general elections, our department will establish temporary check posts at Araku Valley, Paderu, Chintapalli, Payakaraopeta and Tagarapuvalasa to control and seize illegal liquor in the district.

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