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Bar owners unhappy about eight-day consumption rule of premium alcohols
New Delhi
New Delhi
Delhi excise officials on Thursday said that a recent order — which requires bars in the city to sell or dispose contents of vodka and whisky bottles in the premium price range within eight days — was framed only after proper study and much deliberations involving multiple stakeholders.
Bar owners in city, however, complained that the government’s latest directions have forced them to dispose large quantities of unsold stock since October 1 – the date when the order came into effect.
According to the order, issued on August 31, the eight-day time frame applies to 750ml vodka and whiskey bottles priced in the range of Rs 1,501 to Rs 4,500. Bar owners were given 30 days to “recalibrate” their stock accordingly.
“Both the price range and the window was decided after a study,” said a senior official in Delhi government’s excise department. He explained, “Over three months, we received scores of complaints of adulteration. Cases in which people in bars were caught mixing cheap alcohol with premium brands. Some complaints were substantiated with video clips. Most complaints pertained to brands within the price range we have ascertained. Also, study showed, brands within this price range are fast moving and two weekends are sufficient to finish a 750ml bottle.”
Another official added, “The eight day window ensures that if a bottle is opened on one Saturday, it gets two full weekends to be drained. Also, these are the brands for which bar owners can procure smaller bottles – 375ml, 180ml and even miniatures. For now, we have no plans to tweak the directions.”
On the ground, things are easier said than done, said Sagar Kumar, director of Ministry of Beer, a popular chain of bars in Delhi-NCR.
“The competition is very high and one has to maintain a wide variety of stock that includes multiple vodka and whiskey brands within the price range set by the government for this order. And not all brands get consumed within the set deadline. While smaller enterprises are facing problems with several brands, the bigger players are facing trouble with the few slow-moving brands within the given price range. The loss is adding up to the liquor cost and that will soon reflect in the menus,” he said.
Rahul Singh, former president of the National Restaurants Association of India, questioned how will a bar owner remember which bottle in the stock was nearing its deadline. He said, “The policy is erratic. If one has to adulterate, one can do that in eight seconds. One does not need eight days for that. The best policy would have been to penalise defaulters instead of making everyone suffer.”
