Liquor prices slashed as financial year ends

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service
Muktsar, March 25

As the current financial year (2018-19) is about to end, liquor vends are offering huge discount on country liquor to clear their existing stock. A liquor bottle, which was earlier available for Rs 250, is now being sold at just Rs 150, means 40 per cent discount.

During a random visit to the town, the discounted price list was seen displayed outside a number of vends. The prices slashed after the draw of lots for liquor vends was held on March 20.

An employee of a vend on Kotkapura road said, “Though the same company has got the liquor vends for the next financial year here, the prices of country liquor have been slashed to clear the stock this year. Further, the prices of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) too will be slashed on March 27.”

However, Rajan Mehra, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Muktsar, was not available for his comments.

Another liquor vend employee said, “The inter-state smuggling of country liquor from Haryana has hit hard our business. A number of people are daily caught with smuggled liquor, but the people involved in this illegal trade are not ready to relent. Thus we had no option but to slash the price.” He said if the stock did not clear in the next three-four days, they would have to offer more discount.

A Bacchus lover said, “This particular time of the year comes as a boon for people like us. We stock our quota of three-four months as the liquor vends usually offer two bottles free on purchase of 10 bottles of any brand of IMFL and also give some discount. Further, this is the election time and vends may offer more discount to clear their stock and the politicians too may store it.”