As the craze of foreign liquor among the upper middle class Delhiites is clearly evident from the fact that its sale has registered a staggering growth of 62.88 per cent this year in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year, many vendors have been caught filling Indian wine in foreign bottles.
According to Delhi Government data, there has been a sale of about 20.28 lakh foreign liquor bottles in comparison to 12.45 lakh sold during the same period last year. The development has led to increase in revenue collections from Rs31 crore in 2014 to Rs47 crore this year. There is such a demand that many cases have surfaced in which vendors have been found repackaging low-cost Indian liquor and selling them in the name of high-end premium foreign brands, said an industry insiders.
During an inspection carried out in a banquet hall at Aruna Asif Ali Road on August 19 it was found that 100 Piper bar code had been put up on Johnnie Walker bottle, said the insider.
Another Johnnie Walker bottle had invalid bar code on it, he added.
“A bottle of Absolute Vodka had bar code of a shop which had already sold it long ago. Not only this but in an another inspection at a Mall in Rajouri Garden where a person had secured permit to serve 12 bottles of Chivas Regal, 24 bottles of Heineken Beer and a bottle each of Sula Red Wine and Sula White Wine had forged bar code on three sealed bottles,” said the insiders.
The excise officials said there were clear indications that fake bar codes were being used on foreign liquor bottles by some vendors to make quick bucks. “All that they have to do is to paste the bar code on a foreign liquor bottle and fill the same with low cost Indian Made Foreign liquor (IMFl).”
As the festive season will begin from mid-November, the excise officials fear some vendors could indulge in selling Indian liquor in the garb of foreign brands to make quick bucks.
“But we are going to carry out inspections in a big way to crack down on such vendors. Anyone found selling Indian liquor in the garb of foreign brands is bound to face strict action.”
While the sale of Indian whisky has also registered a 13 per cent growth, but non-availability of some premier brands has reportedly taken its toll on the sale of the IMFl brands. “This is precisely one of the reasons why many upper middle class people are going for foreign brands,” a senior excise department official said.
The total growth in revenue from excise is 30.57 per cent in the current financial year. As per data, the excise department has registered 95.39 per cent in the month of April; 7.99 per cent in May; 9.49 percent in June; 10.61 per cent in July and 44.64 per cent in August this year.