Hordes of tourists thronging several places across the State to celebrate the New Year eve and the New Year, they are facing difficulties to get their favorite bottle of liquor. The locals have been facing the same for the past six months. liquor shop owners said that they are not getting branded liquors from the suppliers, resulting in loss of around 20 per cent of the income.
However, Dehradun excise officer Pawan Kumar Singh denied that branded liquors are not available in sufficient quantity.
Moreover, the High Court has recently directed the State government to provide branded liquors to the residents in adequate measure. But things are the same on the ground.
A liquor trader at Survey Chowk said the supply of branded liquor that the
customers demand are in short supply.
“Some of them return empty- handed while others, left with no other option, buy whatever is available reluctantly. This is sad that despite having got the license for liquor shop from the excise department, we are not getting adequate stock. This results in ours incurring losses for days on end,” he added.
Another liquor shop owner based at Clock Tower said that at a recent meeting held between the excise department officers and liquor retailers, the erratic supply of the branded liquors from the suppliers had figured. However, the excise department officers failed to satisfy them, he said. “We keep incurring loss of around 20 per cent daily,” he added. Sohan Mehta, resident of Kewal Vihar, said that the locals have no option but to take locally made
branded liquor.
“This is bound to send a wrong message to the tourists who love to booze while celebrating the New Year,”
he said.
Amit, a Mussoorie- based tourist guide, said that they are depressed with the branded liquor being unavailable.
“The tourists say they would have bought it from outside the State had they got the information beforehand,” he said.