Highway liquor ban: Hotels stare at high alocohol inventory

Inventory risk of getting spoilt due to not being properly stocked in ideal temperature

Ankur Bhatia is a worried man. The Roseate, a luxury hotel promoted by him on NH-8, is sitting on a sealed liquor stock, mostly expensive wines and whiskies, worth Rs 60 lakh. Bhatia has not been able to remove or sell a single bottle from the large inventory for last 18 days, thanks to the recent Supreme Court order which prevents sale of alcohol by all establishments situated within 500 metres of the national and state highways from April 1.

“Most of the blocked inventory at my hotel are expensive wines which I need to stock in a certain temperature