In election season, production of country liquor rose 7.2%

Tribune News Service

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Chandigarh, May 24

With political parties increasingly relying on liquor to engage workers and attract voters, Haryana has witnessed a notable surge of 7.2 per cent in the production of country-made liquor.

‘liquor contributes to 15% of a candidate’s expenses’

• The surge in production is attributed to increased demand during the election season.
• “Not only is liquor distributed for votes, but provisions must also be made for engaging workers. Just as expenses are incurred on the food, lodging and travel of workers, daily expenditure on liquor is necessary,” explained a Congress leader on the condition of anonymity.
• Echoing this sentiment, a BJP leader said, “The longer the election season, the greater the demand for liquor. Liquor contributes to around 15 per cent of a candidate’s expenses.”

According to data from distilleries, a total of 429.8 lakh litres of country liquor was dispatched to wholesale dealers in April-May 2024, marking a significant increase from the corresponding period in 2023, when 401.04 lakh litres were produced. Sources indicate that in terms of cases, there was a production of 47.76 lakh cases of country liquor in April-May 2024, compared to 44.56 lakh cases during the same period in 2023.

It’s worth noting that a liquor case typically contains 9 litres of alcohol.

In terms of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), distillery figures reveal that the production in April-May of the current year reached 108.27 lakh litres, corresponding to 12.03 lakh cases. This marks a 4.2 per cent increase from the production figures of April-May 2023, which stood at 103.86 lakh litres and 11.54 lakh cases, respectively.

The surge in production is attributed to increased demand, particularly during the election season. “Not only is liquor distributed for votes, but provisions must also be made for engaging workers. Just as expenses are incurred on the food, lodging and travel of workers, daily expenditure on liquor is necessary,” explained a Congress leader on the condition of anonymity. Echoing this sentiment, a BJP leader said, “The longer the election season, the greater the demand for liquor. Liquor contributes to around 15 per cent of a candidate’s expenses.”

The significant use of liquor in elections is further underscored by seizures made by various authorities in the state. According to data released by Haryana’s Chief Electoral Officer, over 4.05 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 13.31 crore was seized by various agencies during the election season. This includes the seizure of 2.96 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 9.23 crore by the police and 1.10 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 4.08 crore by the Excise Department.

Additionally, agencies have seized drugs amounting to Rs 14 crore in the state, with the police alone confiscating narcotics worth Rs 13.93 crore. Moreover, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has seized 2 kg of drugs valued at Rs 4 lakh.

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