Liquor sellers meet official, want ‘supplies restored’

LUCKNOW: Faced with inadequate supplies for the past three days, a delegation of liquor sellers called upon excise commissioner Dheeraj Sahu on Tuesday.

The delegation apprised Sahu of how there was an immediate need to normalise supplies. Sahu, the liquor sellers said, assured them that the problems would ease out in a few days.

The new liquor policy cleared by the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh came into effect from Sunday. Ever since, most of the liquor shops that as per new policy have started opening from 12 noon to 10 pm instead of 9 am to 11 pm, have remained closed as the wholesale trade isn’t able to ensure supplies.

“We sought the excise commissioner’s intervention in ensuring supplies and have been assured of normalisation in a few days’ time,” said Kanhaiya Lal Maurya, general secretary of the Lucknow Sharab Association.

Suresh Pratap Singh, treasurer of the association, was also part of the delegation that met Sahu.

For the third consecutive day, beer and scotch were

› We sought the excise commissioner’s intervention in ensuring supplies and have been assured of normalisation in a few days’ time KANHAIYA LAL MAURYA, general secretary of the Lucknow Sharab Association.

largely unavailable as was countrymade liquor.

Some varieties of cheap Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) were available but they were quickly exhausted, making it the third consective “virtual dry day” in the state, according to some liquor sellers.

As per the new excise policy, the state government has replaced the system of using holograms on bottles with ‘track and trace’ system to check smuggling. It has further barred cash transactions above ₹30,000 for picking liquor stock from wholesale traders.

The Samajwadi Party government, towards the end of its five-year tenure, had okayed a two-year contract for liquor trade, which made the BJP government wait for a year to effect changes in the trade.