Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Gurdaspur: Liquor being sold at higher prices, no rate list displayed on wine shops
Rohit Gupta
Gurdaspur, May 17, 2024: Consumers in the district are shelling out more for purchasing liquor. It has been revealed that liquor sellers are charging Rs 50 to 200 more for every bottle in the Gurdaspur circle.
As per information, in the nearest towns Dhariwal and Batala, a bottle of English liquor Imperial Blue is available for Rs 710 and in Mukerian, the same bottle is being sold at Rs 650. But the customers of Gurdaspur city are having to spend Rs 800 for a bottle of Imperial Blue. Similarly, a bottle of liquor brands like Royal Stag and Royal Challenge is priced at Rs 810 at Dhariwal and Batala and Rs 750 at Mukerian, while contractors are selling these bottles at Rs 900 in Gurdaspur and surrounding areas.
Similarly, Blender Pride and other liquors of this range are being sold at Rs 1010 per bottle at Dhariwal and Batala, while it is selling at Rs 950 per bottle at Mukerian but 1200 is being charged from customers at Wine Shops of Gurdaspur Circle.
Along with this, it has also come to light that the contractors of Gurdaspur Circle have not put a new rate list on the Wine Shops of the circle till now.
On March 28, all the contracts of Gurdaspur Circle were allocated to two firms, but despite the passage of almost two months, the new rate list is not visible on any liquor Shop opened by these two firms.
Even after two months, the name of the old contractor firm 'Pathankot Tedros' is seen outside the liquor Shops. The name and category of the new firms have not been written on any liquor shop on Gurdaspur Circle.
ETO Hemant Sharma said that the contractor cannot sell less than the minimum retail price but no one has the right to sell liquor by increasing the rate.
"If a complaint is received against any Contractor for overcharging of liquor, then action will be taken against him," he said.
Regarding the non-fixing of the Rate List on the Liquor Shops in Gurdaspur Circle, he said that he would immediately instruct the concerned officials to ensure that a new rate list is fixed for every wine shop. Along with this, about the name of the old contractor firm written on the liquor Shops, he said that one of the new contractors had asked to change the name of the firm. Soon the names and categories of the new contractors will be written on each Liquor Shop.