After reports of shortage of popular liquor brands in the vends across Punjab in the festive season, the Excise and Taxation Department of Punjab on Saturday issued a showcause notice to Pernod Ricard India ltd, for not supplying liquor to the l-1 licensees thus violating rule 110 of the Punjab Distilleries Rules, along with some other conditions specified in their BWH-2 licence.
The consent letters to the l-1As given by the manufacturing companies were declared invalid in a judgement by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
A spokesman of the department said that to make sure regular supply to the retail licensees, an amendment was issued on October 12 in accordance with which all the l-1 licensees were allowed to procure their liquor directly from manufacturing units as an ad-interim measure till the final implementation of corrective steps as per the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The spokesman said that as of now, three prominent companies engaged in bulk supply of liquor only two — United Spirits and Allied Blenders and Distillers have commenced their supplies to the l-1 licensees. The spokesman stated that the department has noted with grave concern that such insistence on not supplying liquor to the l-1 licensees by Pernod Ricard India ltd, constitute unfair trade practices which would not be tolerated by the Government under any circumstances.