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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Spirit crisis may aid hooch trade


Statesman News Service
MALDA, 10 JUNE: The state excise directorate has issued permits for importing 11 lakh litre rectified spirit from Uttar Pradesh, but not a drop has arrived in the past week. There is fear that this crisis of rectified spirit, used to manufacture country liquor, will fuel the burgeoning hooch trade.

“If we do not continue production and maintain proper supply of country liquor, consumers of the weaker economic bracket would tend to buy illicit liquor, which is cheaper than the rates for country liquor fixed by the state government,” said Mr Moulinath Mukherjee, executive officer of the West Bengal Country Spirit Manufacturers’ and Bottlers’ Association (WBCSMBA). The Bengal excise officials are tightlipped on the subject. It is learnt they are in touch with the Uttar Pradesh government for supply of the required volume of rectified spirit and have sent an SOS as well. Production of country liquor, meanwhile, remains hampered in the state government's approved manufacturing and bottling plants.

“We have issued a permit for 11 lakh litre rectified spirit from Uttar Pradesh but the UP government is still undecided whether it would export rectified spirit to other states due to its internal problems. We expect the UP government to take a final decision on the matter by 15 June,” said a senior officer of the excise directorate on terms of anonymity. According to him, a shortfall in the production of sugarcane may have triggered the problem in Uttar Pradesh.

The WBCSMBA has planned to submit a memorandum to the government soon to overcome the present crisis and it would urge the government to reduce the rate of country liquor so that the illicit liquor industry cannot flourish in the state.

Notably, 22 persons died in Kolkata and 48 in Tamluk in January and May this year respectively due to consumption of hooch.

According to WBCSMBA official Mr Mukherjee, a Bureau of Applied Economics and Statistics survey has found that the country spirit market in the state for 2008-09 was 8,391 lakh litres, of which only 25 per cent (2,098 lakh litres) was being met though government bottling plants and vends. The remaining 75 per cent (6,293 lakh litres) came from illicit sources.

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