Days after the Bharatiya Janata Party Government took over while strongly pitching for a corruption-free State, the licenced liquor outlets across Dehradun and other parts of the State continue to sell beer at rates much higher than the printed maximum retail price (MRP).
This also affects the tourism sector which the State is hoping to capitalise upon for optimising income. It is clear that the apathy of the excise department officials in Dehradun, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pauri, Uttarkashi and others is emboldening the liquor vendors to continue to fleece the customers despite the change of guard in the State.
Customers on Thursday were found arguing with the vendors at various liquor shops across Dehradun city for overcharging them, flouting the MRP rates.
lack of regular 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.
Prashant is one of the customers who were found fuming after shelling out more than MRP rate while buying a beer can from a liquor shop on Survey Chowk. “This practice must be stopped by the new government with a heavy hand,” he said.
Rohan Bisht, another customer, echoed the same sentiment, saying that he had purchased a bottle of beer while coughing up more than the MRP rate. “When I asked the shop employees to explain 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, Abhishek who was found coming out from a liquor shop at Rispana alleged that the district administration has failed to rein in the shopkeepers for overcharging the buyers. “The varying prices in a day are something which we rarely come across in other states,” he said.
The official sources say 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, the customers, at the receiving end of the malpractice, said in unison.
When quizzed over the matter, a Dehradun excise officer Pawan Singh said that an inspector would be directed to conduct inquiry and action would follow against the errant shopkeepers if the allegations of overcharging are found correct.