Hyderabad, October 06: There are no offices. No transport to go anywhere. Children who usually give you peace of mind by going to school are no longer going to schools. They remain in the house and give you plenty of head ache. What would you do in such a situation. You would walk to the nearest bar and forget all your worries there. But liquor is not going to give solace to you any longer as the ongoing Sakala Janula Samme will have its influence on the liquor trade in the region, as Excise employees are also joining it. This news is particularly bad for the Dasara revelers.
Anxious revelers who want to celebrate a ‘spirited’ Dasara are queuing up before the liquor shops as they fear shortage. These queues are found not only in Hyderabad, but also all over the Telangana region on the eve of Dasara. Wine shop owners who are themselves a worried lot because of the possible depleted supplies, are making hay while the sun shone, by selling liquor at enhanced prices. On each bottle they are charging minimum Rs 50 more above the prescribed price, citing Sakala Janula Samme. Some shops have already exhibited ‘No Stock’ boards because there were no supplies. Some wine shop owners have staged a dharna at the liquor depot in Amberpet on Wednesday afternoon.
Some other dealers are reportedly trying to create artificial shortage by holding the stocks back, so that it could be sold at an enhanced price.
Meanwhile, Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana told the media at Tirupati on Wednesday that excise staff going on strike was illegal. Stating that the government was holding talks with the employees to avert the strike, he said the problem might be resolved soon. He expressed confidence that the government would be able to make alternative arrangements even if the situation went out of head. Not being able to sell liquor is going to be a bad news to the government also, as most of its revenue came only through liquor sales.
—-AndhraH