Distilleries come up with feminine labels to attract tipplers

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 17

Not only has the number of women gone up in liquor trade, many brands have started cashing in on female names. Names such as Chandni, Naina, Raat di Rani and Khushboo, Lal Pari, Sohni, Rano, Paro, Heer and Jugni have made their way to the labels of Punjab Medium Liquor (PML) bottles. The state government hopes to rake in moolah by attracting liquor lovers by this strategy. As the state gears up for the Assembly elections, the Opposition is raising the issue.

“On the one hand, the government is promoting women empowerment through Nanhi Chhan for saving the girl child and on the other, it is promoting such names of liquor brands for Punjabi men,” claimed a senior Congress leader. Notably, these names were in the market even during the last Congress regime in Punjab and the Akalis had then claimed that the Congress “promoted women only in wrong way”.

“Brand names after women names are being kept to play with the psyche of people. There are certain brands after fruit names too but these are only a few in comparison with those named after women,” says a business promoter for these brands.

Excise officials claim there is little they can do. Whenever they get a request for brand name, the file is cleared if there is no such brand name already in the market, they said. “Once a distillery applies through the prescribed procedure, we have to clear the name if it does not hurt any religious sentiments,” said a senior officer.

In a state that has a population of 2.77 crore, 85.21 crore litre of hard liquor has been consumed in the past seven years, excluding beer. Official data shows that despite the rising prices of the IMFL (India-made foreign liquor), PML consumption increased from 6.18 crore proof litre during 2008-09 to 9.20 crore proof litre during 2013-14. The state has already consumed 6.17 crore proof litre of PML (till November 15, 2014) last fiscal.

Moreover, as many as 18 women traders were successful this fiscal in bagging the liquor trade authority in 22 districts, which is further divided into almost 78 excise zones. Excise department officials said these women traders will be accountable for selling a whopping 1306.72 crore worth of liquor in the state, as per quota already fixed by the government.

In addition to these 18 women allottees, many women financers have stakes in the growing liquor trade. Every single woman allottee will have to ensure a sale of 9.80 crore proof litre (PL) PML, 4.50 crore PL of IMFL in addition to beer sale, in their respective excise zone.

“This means that these women traders will sell roughly 176 crore proof litre (PL) of PML, 81 crore PL of IMFL in addition to lakhs of bulk litres of beer,” said an excide official.