Liquor sale resumes in Madhya Pradesh, contractors stick to demands

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Bhopal, May 6 (IANS) After two days of wrangling, the liquor shops in Madhya Pradesh reopened in some areas in the second half of Wednesday.

There was a stalemate after the government, keen to recover some revenue after a gap of 40 days, ordered reopening of the vends from Tuesday. The liquor contractors were not keen to resume business under curtailed timing and restrained operations. With bars and other spaces around the vends, locally called 'haataas', closed due to lockdown, the vendors do not expect much business once the pent-up demand subsides. They had on Tuesday moved the high court which issued notice on the government.

The government permitted vends to be opened in green zone and shops outside the Containment Areas in orange zones.

Though the government announced an agreement with the liquor contractors, it held back the details. It assured to consider the contractors' demand in three to four days. The contractors have announced reopening of shops, but the response has been lukewarm.

Except the corona hotspots of Bhopal, Indore and Ujjain, some shops were opened outside the green and orange zones. The government and the contractors were still sorting out some issues in the evening.

The contractors discussed the issue with the Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Excise Department. The Liquor lobby is firm on its demand for lower excise duty, proportionate to the sales. They want a provision for the contractors who are unable to run the business to be allowed to exit the contract. Noting that the bids for 2020-21 were made on 25 per cent higher license fees, they sought that these should be scrapped, and liquor sales should be allowed on the license fees for 2019-20. The next contract should be handed for 2 years in 2021 -22. It can be offered on a 25 percent higher fees or more if the government wants.

Home Minister Narottam Mishra is unhappy that the liquor contractors did not obey the government orders, and was in favour of action against the liquor mafia. As a coercive tactic, some major contractors' premises were raided for black marketing liquor.

With shops closed, there was spurt in smuggling of liquor and police claimed to have arrested several persons for unauthorised possession of liquor. Incidentally in January, Mishra was overly critical of the Congress which sought to increase the revenue from liquor by offering to sell it online. He said the Congress government was ruining the future of the youth by spreading liquor addiction.

Incidentally, a BJP legislator's brother happens to be a senior office-bearer of the contractors' association and had hosted the BJP legislators at a luxury resort off Bhopal before the floor test that never took place. The Kamal Nath government collapsed after 22 Congress legislators resigned and joined the BJP.

--IANS

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