Wine contractors fleecing gullible buyers in city

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 20

A few wine contractors here have started fleecing customers on the pretext of accepting scrapped notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination. While they readily accept the banned currency notes, they force customers to buy liquor equal to the paid amount. In case someone fails to match payment with the liquor bought, he forfeits the balance.

A team of The Tribune visited around six wine shops in different areas. It was found that the staff at the shops were accepting the banned notes but not paying the balance.

The salesman at a wine shopkeeper near Dana Mandi, Dugri, was asked to provide the bottle of a liquor that costs Rs 450. He was paid Rs 500 (in banned currency) which he readily accepted. When the team asked for the balance, the salesman refused to return Rs 50.

The wine shops near the Giaspura petrol station, Shimlapuri Chowk, Dugri Road were also seen exploiting customers. The choice given to The Tribune team was: “Whether make payment in the valid currency notes or forget the balance.”

“Alcoholics, having no choice, don’t ask for the balance up to Rs 100 because of the shortage of change,” said a wine contractor, who claims his business was suffering because he was not letting the salesmen accept the old currency notes.

One of the salesmen handed over a slip with “Rs 220 baki (balance)” written on it. However, the slip proved to be of no use later in the evening. Another salesman at the shop said: “We do not know who issued you the slip. We cannot entertain it”.

A customer standing outside a shop said: “These salesmen know that we are their daily customers and cannot live without liquor. They exploit us for our weakness. But there should be some check on these persons”.