Liquor shortage hits Chandigarh, ‘prices soar’

Major Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and country-made liquor brands are not available. While Godfather is the only beer brand currently available, more popular labels like Kingfisher, Corona and Budweiser remain off the shelves. Also, the mid-range IMFL brands like Black Dog, Red Label, Black Label and Teachers are unavailable, affecting the city’s most in-demand liquor segment.

Hardeep Singh, a salesperson at a Sector 17 liquor vend, said, “We have very little stock as of now. Whiskies such as Royal Stag, Blenders Pride, Red Label, etc., which are sold the most daily at any liquor vend are not in the stock. Also, Kingfisher and Godfather beer, which are sold in maximum quantity, are out of stock.”

“The only stock available is of some premium beer brands and some regular whiskies in 2-litre bottles, and some scotch whiskies, which we have already taken from the companies on April 1. If vends sell the old stock from the previous financial year, they will have to pay the duty on it,” Hardeep said.

Also, it was found that liquor vends whiskies which were earlier sold for Rs 500, are available for Rs 550-Rs 600, and beer which were earlier sold for Rs 130, are available for Rs 150- Rs 170.
Chandigarh Wine Contractors Association president Darshan Singh Kaler said, “Currently, out of the 96, 45 liquor vends are operating, even though 48 others have the permit. Liquor vends at Khuda Alisher, at Madhya Marg, outside Kalagram, and at Manimajra NAC are also not functioning due to some land dispute.”

Kaler said, “Due to the excise policy, there is no hike reported in the MRP (Minimum Reserve Price) at liquor vends, but some liquor vends have the monopoly, so they may have hiked prices.”
“Many vends are selling beer for Rs 170 to Rs 200 instead of the actual price of Rs 130, because only a few vends are operating, creating a monopoly,” Kaler said.

“Also, some liquor vends are unable to complete formalities required by liquor companies, such as KYC, due to which companies are unable to do the billing,” Kaler said.

“Liquor vends having the licence for this year are also unable to pay the solvency of their properties, 20 per cent of the bid amount, which is also an issue. We will raise the matter in the High Court, where the case is pending,” he said.

A liquor contractor said, “Several vends are unable to get stock amid court proceedings around the Excise Policy, and the excise department’s sluggish online system has created an application bottleneck.

With stocks depleting, prices of available liquor have also surged and harried customers, after hunting for liquor locally, are travelling to Mohali and Panchkula, where liquor vends are also making hay by spiking prices amid noticeably increased demand.

Pratap Chand Thakur, a resident of Sector 22, said, “I wanted to buy bottles of Royal Stag and VAT 69, but finding several liquors vends closed, and those opened not having the stock, I bought it from Mohali.”

Ajay Singh, a resident of Mohali, said, “Earlier, I used to travel to Chandigarh to buy liquor, but now since the prices are almost matching with Mohali, and stocks are available here, I get my stock from Mohali only.”

Meanwhile, even the operational vends aren’t getting fresh stock as the excise department’s website, used by dealers and vend owners to submit their supply requests, has been running slow for days.

To get stock, first, an order is placed through the department’s website, which is then approved by the excise inspector. The same is forwarded to the excise and taxation officer (ETO) and subsequently sent to the company supplying liquor.

The company then generates the customer code and transit pass, which is again approved by the excise inspector, after which the supply is dispatched.

A senior official of the UT excise department said there were some issues that were being addressed, and the supply was expected to improve soon.