iquor contractors will no longer be able to sell alcohol at arbitrary prices. The Excise Department has issued a notification fixing the rates of liquor sold in marriage palaces in Punjab, curbing price gouging. Contractors will not be able to sell it above these fixed rates. The new rates have been implemented with immediate effect.
It is worth noting that liquor contractors had formed a syndicate in view of the wedding season, under which they had more than doubled the price of each case of liquor. Punjab Kesari had published a news report on November 6th titled “Contractors are Black Marketing Liquor Right Under the Nose of the Excise Department,” after which senior officials of the department took notice and put a stop to the price manipulation today. The notification clearly states that no contractor will sell liquor above the fixed rates.
The price of a case of liquor that contractors had increased from 4,000 to 7,000 rupees has now been fixed at 3,900 rupees. Similarly, cases that were selling for 5,000 to 22,000 rupees, and which contractors had started selling for 9,000 to 35,000 rupees, can now not be sold for more than 21,300 rupees. Likewise, the price of a case that had been increased from 40,000 to 67,000 rupees has been fixed at 46,500 rupees by the department. These include brands like JW and Gold Label Reserve. The price of a case of Chivas Regal had been increased to 90,000 rupees, but the department has fixed it at 60,900 rupees. The department has uploaded this notification on its website. After the issuance of this notification, while the faces of the liquor contractors were filled with sadness, the faces of liquor enthusiasts and people planning weddings lit up with joy.
