Why Are Liquor Laws Strict ONLY during Elections and Why NOT All the Time?

Why Are Liquor Laws Strict ONLY during Elections and Why NOT All the Time?

Mangaluru: For the last few weeks after the election date was announced, the Election Commissioner had imposed some strict liquor laws until the elections are over- and due to that the scenes around the wine shops have worn a deserted look, if not the areas around these wine shops will be packed with customers sipping on their favorite booze served beside or behind these wine shops. But why is that only during election time these liquor laws are strictly followed. Laws should be laws throughout the year- irrespective of election or not!

Come May 16, the day after the election results are announced the scenes at all the wine shops, bars, and pubs will be back to square one- where wine shops will start serving liquor to their clients illegally, pubs and bars will stay open past night closing time, will open early in the morning etc etc. Now the wine shops and bars don’t even open until 10 am due to election model code of conduct, if not you could see some wine shops open as early as 5 am or 6 am in the morning-like the one near Bunder Dakke {Port}, where all the fishermen have their morning dose of energy tonic??

These Strict law enforcement have left no fizz in the liquor biz before polls, making it one of the driest ever. At some of the wine shops there are hardly any customers, and also during the weekend, which is unimaginable. But that is what hundreds of them have been like in the last few weeks. With the Excise authorities (with the Election Commission in charge) strictly implementing the rules, wine stores are making less business. Stocks of many brands of liquor have run out. Licences of many wine stores have been suspended. The cats have been belled and the liquor business has lost its fizz. This election has turned out to be the driest ever.

Hundreds of CL-2 licence (retail shop licence) that doubled as watering holes are now literally out of business. As per rules, they are allowed to only sell liquor. They cannot serve liquor on their premises. Only establishments with CL-9 licences (bars and restaurants) can serve alcohol. Till recently, CL-2 licence-holders freely served liquor on their premises. Many supplied food to patrons as well and for all practical purposes, functioned like CL-9 licence-holders. A full stop has been imposed on this now. So, customers are keeping away. The excise authorities have finally implemented the rules as there is no political pressure preventing them. The CL-2 stores are now barred from selling even bottled water, to prevent tipplers sidestepping the rules.

Dhabas and food vendors on highways are popular places for an evening out for the weekend crowd. It is also the pit stop for long-distance travellers. These food joints are popular also because they serve liquor sourced from the nearest wine store. However, they do not have any licence to do so. The authorities have shut down this practice in the last few weeks. Licences of many liquor stores have been suspended for violation of rules. Some of them approached the High Court with the plea that licences are being suspended for even minor discrepancies in the accounts where a fine would have sufficed.

A department circular on April 18 had directed the district excise officials to suspend the licence of all liquor stores that had violated rules. The authorities ended up suspending licenses of liquor stores that had even minor violations. These were mostly CL-2 licensees. But once again, a revised circular on April 25 directed them to suspend licences only in cases of serious violation of rules. A memo was filed by the department before the HC in this regard. For tipplers, the only option is to go to a CL-9 bar and restaurant. But here, they are facing another problem. Many of the popular, large-volume brands are out of stock. Let alone hard liquor, buying even a bottle of beer is a big challenge.

Stocks are supplied by the Karnataka State Beverages Corporation Limited (KSBCL), which has a monopoly. “For April, only the quantity supplied in April of 2017 was provided. Business was low last year due to demonetization. It is better this year. So, most stores exhausted their stocks by April 20, and some liquor businesses are out of the popular liquor brands. Who knew a beer would be this hard to come by in Mangaluru? However, those who sorely need a drink are turning to microbreweries, which make their own craft beer. A manager at a Microbrewer joint in City confirmed that compared to March, footfall had increased by 10.8% and beer sales had gone up by 11.1% in April. In fact, compared to the first week of April, they saw an increase of 13.75% in beer sales and 11.9% in football. What are you drinking tonight?

Amid the celebration, which sometimes also involves dance and music, one local bar owner is briefed on his assignment the next day. “These low-key feastings are generally organized by the confidants of sitting MLAs and aspiring party candidates. It is very common for alcohol to be available during any elections, be it municipal or assembly polls. But gone are the days when people were won over with country brew or cheap whisky. Standards have gone up. Now, Indian Made Foreign Liquor and beer wrapped in newspapers are up for grabs,’’ he added.

An owner of a popular Pub/Lounge says that such events have become more discreet in recent years. Candidates avoid such party’s and now they directly distribute bottles asking them to drink in the comfort of their homes to avoid the Election Commission’s hawk’s eye. In many places instead of bottles, the local leaders give away tokens, which can be exchanged for liquor at the stores.

According to an official, who leads expenditure monitoring liquor movement district-wise said the excise and police officials have seized around 5,000 litres of liquor and beefed up intelligence to report the transfer of illicit liquor. Along with the flying squad and liquor monitoring team, a State Surveillance Team is set up within each police station.“Most of the liquor is coming from Goa as it is available reasonably there. We have intensified surveillance near border checkpoints and seizure of liquor has become a regular event,” they added. In previous polls, alcohol was bootlegged and made easily available, despite the ban but that has stopped completely now.

But local liquor store owners are complaining, as they claim no one is buying from them as they know EC is keeping a tab on bulk sales in a liquor outlet. “The EC has made life hell for us. People think liquor shops make bumper profits around elections but we suffer. It is the illegal traders who gain. Once he reaches the daily quota, he closes his shop to avoid getting a notice against the bulk sale,’’ said a bar and restaurant owner, who has brisk business on NH 17 highway.

But what does the law says? The Model Code of Conduct asks parties and candidates abstain from serving or distributing alcohol to voters when the poll code is in force. On polling day and 48 hours preceding it, dry days will be declared to ensure they don’t influence voters will liquor. The confiscated liquor is disposed under the prohibition law. Those bottles deemed unfit for consumption are straight away destroyed and then the rest are taken to an excise departmental store, which are sold to Karnataka Beverages Corporation. Well said in the laws-but why only these liquor laws have to be followed ONLY during election time.

Now, come 16 May, some corrupt officials from the Excise Department will be once again starting to make their extra buck from these liquor business owners. Among the most corrupted officials that you can find in the government sector, are the ones employed by the Excise Department. It’s not my opinion, ask anyone owning a bar or liquor shop. One of my friend’s friend who owns a bar and a liquor shop says that he spends a few thousand per month in order to keep the excise officials happy, and also so that he can operate his business without any hassles or harassment from them. No wonder these excise officials mint so much extra income- the proof is that when the Income Tax sleuths raid their homes, they find stacks of currency hidden in the house, also few cars, jewellery etc- just mere government salary won’t add to all these assets. This is all bribe money earned in a corrupt manner!

How strict are these excise officials on wine shops serving liquor to their patrons at the side or behind their shops? It’s the monthly payment to some cops and excise officials that they allow such activity. How many times have the cops or excise officials raided a bar or a wine shop, other than a lounge/pub every now and then? That’s because lounge/pub owner doesn’t entertain them with bribe etc- so they are always targeted, whereas bar/wine shop owners bribe them in order to earn little extra money, keeping business hours past regular closing hours. A few times cops have entered Mangalore Club, and also Lobo’s Riverview, while functions were going on, to stop the loud music etc- nothing but harassment. For the fact that Mr Lobo never bribes them, therefore he has to face all the consequences. Seems like our laws are made for certain people of certain categories, for that matter.

By having all these restrictions we are giving more scope to illegal dealings, corruption in the departments etc. People who can’t live without alcohol know where to get liquor on a dry day? This ban on liquor or restriction does not work since some of those who implement the law are the First ones to BREAK THE LAW? Some of our laws are nothing but a combination of Strictness and Stupidity! While we welcome the law to be implemented strictly, but there are loopholes, where the laws are abused, especially by the dept officials. While the excise officials are quick to arrest innocent people, many of the crooks/criminals/goondas are still on the loose, which our officials are struggling to apprehend. What a society we are living in? discrimination is playing a vital role in this regard.

In conclusion, what is the point in having all these liquor laws when they are NOT strictly enforced, EXCEPT during election time? Some of the excise officials and police who have lost their extra moolah during the last few weeks are anxiously waiting for the election liquor restrictions to get over, so that they can once again be on the same corrupt track, and make their living the easy way, on the account of these liquor business owners. Oh well, I guess nothing much could be done- the trend has been going on for years, and suppose will continue in future too. People who make the laws should see that the laws are strictly enforced, so nothing much could be done. Until then, CHEERS!