 "Liquor")
The demonetisation of high-value currency notes has adversely affected the sale of liquor across Odisha with most of the outlets reporting a decline in sales even as queues outside ATMs and banks continued to swell.
Of the total 3843 liquor shops in the state, 50% have reported a decline in sales following banning of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes from November 8 midnight, an official at the excise department said.
Under this backdrop, Excise revenue collection is likely to be badly hit even as the state government has set a target of Rs 3,300 crore collection during the ongoing financial year (FY).
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While the excise collection in FY216 was Rs 2,568 crore, this time the government expected an additional Rs 800 crore.
The liquor is supplied to the licenced shops through Odisha State Beverage Corporation Limited.
The business of the Corporation has been considerably less during November in several districts as compared to earlier months, the official said, adding that the volume of liquor sale has also slipped in hotels and restaurants.
The excise personnel on the basis of feedback received from sale counters acknowledged that the IMFL and country liquor sale plummeted drastically.
"Though we do not maintain weekly sale records, the sale of both IMFL and country spirit has made a nosedive drastically. The officials at the ground level have informed regarding the fall of the sale of liquor of all varieties," said Kendrapara district Excise Superintendent, Ram Narayan Seth.
Jagatsinghpur Excise Superintendent, Rajat Kumar Praharaj also reported about a similar situation in his district.
"The number of consumers visiting the shop has dropped considerably since the November 8 announcement. The average daily sale in our counter was more than Rs 5,000 earlier. But now it has come down to Rs 2,000 or less. We are not entertaining customers who are visiting to buy liquor with demonetised notes," said the manager of an IMFL counter in Kendrapara, Sudam Charan Sahu.
"We do not want to disappoint the regular customers. We are accepting scrapped notes for liquor. However, we have fixed a ceiling for a purchase of Rs 350 or more. We are forced to do so as there is a possibility of regular customers skipping a visit to our shop in future," a staffer in another retail IMFL shop, Rajani Mohanty, said.
Decline in liquor sale is also affecting small eateries.
"I was earning about Rs 5,000 daily prior to November 8. It has now come down to Rs 1,000," said a roadside eatery near an IMFL shop, Brundaban Sahu.
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