The liquor shops in Dehradun district have been charging Rs 20-30 per can/bottle more than the Maximum Retail Price (MRP). lack of inspection by the excise department is being attributed to the owners fleecing the customers. Under such circumstances, the liquor shops owners are minting money while the hapless customers have no option but to shell out extra for boozing.
Customers on Tuesday were found arguing with the shopkeepers for charging them Rs 20-30 more than MRP rates per bottle at various liquor shops across Dehradun.
Ramesh, a customer, who was found buying liquor at a shop near Survey Chowk, said that he had purchased a can of beer for Rs 110 which was Rs 25 more than MRP rate of Rs 85. “When I argued with the shop employees they said that either you purchase at that rate or simply clear out. The shopkeepers are changing rates whimsically. They charge one rate in the day and another at night,” he alleged.
Another customer, Abhisek who was coming out from a liquor shop at Rispana alleged that the district administration has failed to rein in the shopkeepers for overcharging the buyers. “They take Rs 20 or 30 more in the evening and Rs 15-20 at noon for the same brand of liquors,” he said.
Dehradun Additional DM (finance) Pratap Singh had earlier said that the excise officials have been directed to conduct inspection at liquor shops from time to time. Action should be taken if any shop owner is caught taking prices for liquor or Beer higher than the MRP rates. These officers have also been directed to conduct instant raids on receiving complaints. There was a need of surprise inspection too, he had said.
The official sources revealed that according to the norms the offender is slapped a fine on being caught charging higher than the MRP. But the amount of the fine is too little to discourage them from fleecing the customers. The penalty amount should be sufficiently increased to curb the greedy shopkeepers, they added.
BJYM opposes opening of liquor shop in Haldwani
Haldwani: The members of the Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) have opposed opening of a bar (liquor shop) in Haldwani’s Kushumkhera area. The bar /liquor shop has been opened at S K Puram, Kusumkhera, Haldwani, despite stiff opposition from the local people, said Shankar Koranga, secretary, BJYM.
The people are angry over the state government giving license for opening new liquor shops, he said. We would go for a full-blown stir unless the booze shop is immediately closed down, he warned.