Implementation of the new excise policy in the State has considerably affected aspects like quantity and brands in the market in Dehradun and elsewhere with customers complaining more often about non-availability of particular brands of both hard liquor and beer. Unavailability of particular brands has remained unresolved for about six months now. Those running licensed liquor outlets in the state capital said that they are not getting particular brands of liquor from the suppliers, which has decreased the earnings by 20 per cent. It should be mentioned here that the Uttarakhand high court had recently directed the state government to facilitate availability of branded liquor.
A man working at the licensed liquor shop at Survey Chowk said that there is customer demand for branded liquor but the shops are not receiving the same from the liquor supplier. “Since we got the license from the excise department to run this liquor shop, barring a few instances, particular brands of liquor are not being supplied to the retailers like us. The shortage of particular liquor brands is resulting in financial loss,” he added.
Raipupr resident Ramesh Mehta said that due to unavailability of their preferred brands, consumers of alcohol have no option but to purchase from among the other brands available.
This situation is exerting a varied effect on the retailers and consumers. One such case is that of 65- year- old Ramesh Bisht who says that he is an occasional drinker. However, he feels uneasy when the liquor outlet does not have his preferred brand, he complained.
hould also provide the green bonus which Uttarakhand deserves for the vital ecological services it provides through its environmental wealth. I have written to the prime minister and the union finance minister requesting that that errors committed in the rail budget should be rectified. We have requested that in the union general budget, the State should not be treated with the apathy it suffered in the rail budget,” said Upadhyay.
On being asked about the dissent and vociferous protest by supporters of State finance minister and Haldwani MlA Indira Hridayesh recently, the PCC chief claimed that there had not been any manhandling of PCC office bearer as reported by some media. He averred, “Being a democratic party, some people were raising issues while raising slogans against a particular person for a bit before they stopped sloganeering.” The PCC chief also reiterated that partiality by the Central Government is causing various problems in Uttarakhand. He also repeated the demands including reservation in central services for the natives of Uttarakhand and approval of the various proposals submitted by the Uttarakhand Government to the Central Government under the Namami Gange project aimed at cleaning and rejuvenating the Ganga river.