The extension of the lockdown has triggered stockpiling of essentials. But two products — liquor and cigarettes — don’t come under this category, and a ban on their supply has resulted in black marketers taking advantage of the situation.
Selling from their personal stock, they are charging up to three times the original price. A pack of cigarettes is being sold at ₹500, up from ₹265, and the sale of loose cigarettes has been curbed. “We’d make around ₹10-15 on a pack of 20, which would have an MRP of ₹260. Now, we are procuring it for around ₹450 and selling it at ₹500,” says a paan seller based in Mumbai.
While chain-smokers are in a fix, forced to purchase from the black market, the lockdown comes as a blessing in disguise for some. “I haven’t smoked since the lockdown started and my health has improved,” shares Ashok Thakur, a Gurugram resident.
The crisis is also forcing tipplers to shell out twice the amount of money spent on liquor. “We’re not in a position to bargain, as there is already a shortage,” adds Harshal Mehta, who resides in Mumbai.
And in Delhi, the surge is much steeper, with a bottle of alcohol being sold at a rate that’s 300% higher than the original price. “A can of beer is sold at ₹1,000!” rues a local.
{{/usCountry}}And in Delhi, the surge is much steeper, with a bottle of alcohol being sold at a rate that’s 300% higher than the original price. “A can of beer is sold at ₹1,000!” rues a local.
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