12.5 lakh litres liquor sold in Maharashtra on Wednesday

Approximately 12.5 lakh litres of alcoholic drinks worth around Rs 43.75 crore were sold on Wednesday across the state even as liquor sale was prohibited in major

Approximately 12.5 lakh litres of alcoholic drinks worth around Rs 43.75 crore were sold on Wednesday across the state even as liquor sale was prohibited in major cities like Mumbai and Nagpur.

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The figure was low as the state sees a sale of approximately 24 lakh litres daily in normal times. On Tuesday, the figure stood at 16.10 lakh litres with the liquor worth Rs 62.55 crore being sold.

According to excise officials, the fall is due to various reasons like non-availability in various cities like Mumbai and Nagpur along with restricted timings and also the problem in the supply chain. “Many people are not ready to line up and are waiting for the situation to ease. Also in rural areas, the wine shops do not have adequate stock,” said the official who refused to come on record.

There was also despondency among both the liquor merchants as well as tipplers over the decision of Mumbai municipal commissioner Pravin Pardeshi over the decision to stop the sale of liquor from Wednesday. “People need to change their attitude towards drinking. After sitting at home for days, people will get some diversion,” said Nishid Gala, a resident of Parel.

Meanwhile, the Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP) wants the liquor shops to be shut down. “Liquor is not an essential commodity and is, in fact, harmful. If the Government really wants to earn revenue there are other means too,” said Sriram Pathak, managing committee member, ABGP.