BHOPAL: Tipplers received a shock when they queued up in front of liquor shops to have their quota or even a little more to celebrate Holi in style on Thursday, as shopowners had raised prices of different brands of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) by Rs 100 per bottle to Rs 500 per bottle. The hike is only for Holi and rates are likely to be rolled back to previous levels after Friday.
"When I asked the salesman at the liquor shop in Bittan Market for a bottle of my brand of whisky, he told me bluntly that I will have to pay Rs 200 more today, as prices have gone up. Holi mein price badh hi jate hain", said Dhanraj, who had gone to stock up liquor for Holi as the shops will remain closed on Friday.
Such price hikes often take place during festivals, as liquor shop owners had hiked the prices even before Diwali this year. The arbitrary manner in which the rates of alcohol are raised by shops exposes the sheer futility of much-touted provision of cash memo to customers introduced by the excise department following a string of hooch tragedies so that the liquor from authorised shops are not sold at an inflated rates, forcing people to opt for purchase of illicit liquor.
The provision was made on the recommendation of a SIT formed by the state government headed by additional chief secretary of home. It was also said that the name and mobile number of the officer-incharge would be there on the counter and any customer being charged more than the MRP could make a complaint to him. But, the name and mobile no. has disappeared from the mobile and hundreds of customers, who were "fleeced" by liquor shops, had no way to register their complaint with anyone. An excise officer who was contacted said, "I am not entitled to speak on the issue ."
