Slash in liquor prices in state draws criticism

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 17

The decision of the state Cabinet to reduce the prices of liquor has come under severe criticism from city residents and leaders.

“What an irony that the prices of essential commodities remain high while liquor will be available at a cheaper rate. High rates of power, cereals, milk and fuel never attracted the attention of the government,” they say.

Former health minister Lakshmi Kanta Chawla said, “The Capt Amarinder Singh government supported the move by giving the logic that it will curtail the smuggling of liquor from other states. This logic hasn’t been supported with figures that how much liquor is smuggled from which state.”

There was an anticipation that the new government will bring down the prices of essential commodities. However, things are happening to its contrary as the price of sand in the retail market has shot up. Youth of the state are being hired on contract, she said.

Raman Gupta, a pharmaceutical industrialist, said the government was putting its efforts to bring down the liquor rates while their repeated pleas to curtail the rate of power tariff did not convince them. The promised power at Rs 5 per unit to industries was given but it did no good, he said.

As per the new norms, each large scale connection has to pay Rs 112 per KVA more on the contract demand. It means that the large scale consumers are to pay 20 per cent over and above the power tariff, he said.