Liquor being sold secretly in Tumakuru despite lockdown

Though liquor shops in urban areas of the district are all closed due to the country-wide Covid-19 lockdown, those in rural areas are thriving secretly.

Though the police and Excise departments have carried out raids in some places, liquor is still being sold in many other places. While liquor shops are closed, alcohol is being sold in petty shops and from the houses of liquor shop owners. Thereby, they have avoided getting caught in raids.

High prices

A 90 ml pouch priced at Rs 40 is being sold at Rs 150. A 180 ml tetra pack which costs Rs 80 is being sold at Rs 300.

Though gutka and cigarette sales are banned in Pavagada taluk, a pack of cigarettes costing Rs 165 is being sold at Rs 200.

S Nagarajappa, deputy commissioner, Excise, cautioned that if liquor is being sold despite the ban, by shop owners, their licenses will be canceled. He said that since the lockdown, 22 shop owners had been booked in raids. "Even the sale of Neera from Andhra Pradesh has been stopped," he added.

Recently a burglary in a liquor shop was reported. People say that it a false narrative created by the shop owner to open his shop shutters and shift the liquor stock elsewhere and sell it at sky-high prices.