the goan I network
PANAJI
Reliable sources have informed that excise collections stood at Rs 20.9 crore in April 2017, which was marginally higher than excise collections of Rs 20.3 crore exactly a year ago in April 2016. Excise duty is payable when a manufacturer or an importer of an alcoholic drink has to release the stock to the distributor, who will eventually sell it to liquor shops.
Due to SC’s order, of around 11,000 liquor licenses in Goa, 2,178 licenses have not been renewed. Despite these liquor licenses not getting renewed, excise collections have increased, which indicates that alcohol sales have not come down in the State.
Liquor industry sources said that sales of alcohol in Goa have not come down because consumers now are going to retail outlets away from the highways to buy
alcohol.
Dattaprasad Naik, president, Goa Liquor Traders Association, said, “Around 2,200 licenses are shut in Goa, but that doesn’t mean that sales of alcohol will come down. People aren’t able to buy alcohol along highways, but they are are going to retail outlets in Mapusa main city, Porvorim, Panaji, Bogmallo and even to interior areas of Margao to buy alcohol.”
Take the case of Mapusa, for instance. All liquor stores on the stretch from Hotel Green Park to Carraswado have shut down. The consumers, who used to go to these shops, are now going to outlets in main Mapusa city to buy alcohol.
Similarly, consumers, who used to buy alcohol along the stretch of highway between Panaji and Porvorim, are now going to liquor stores on Chogm Road.
One such liquor store on Chogm Road is called S K Daruwalla. Dharmendra Soni, owner, S K Daruwalla, said, “My sales have doubled ever since liquor shops along highways got shut.”
While a number of liquor shops have seen their sales grow, a very high number of people in this business are struggling as well.
Hansel Vaz from Vaz Enterprises, said, “Our sales in April 2017 have come down by a whopping 85% compared to April 2016. We supply alcohol throughout the State. But large part of our sales was coming from Margao main city, Quepem, Vasco and Canacona and it is this part of our business, which has been totally wiped out.”
It all depends upon where the liquor shops are. The SC had initially banned the sale of alcohol through any channel along national and state highways and within 500 metres from the outer edge of these highways.
But, later, the apex court gave relief by reducing the limit of 500 metres to 220 metres in case of areas comprised in local bodies having a population of upto 20,000.
The urban parts of Goa, which have highways going through them, like Margao and Vasco are not able to make use of this relief, as their population is much higher. Therefore, alcohol businesses in these areas are the worst affected.
But, overall, it seems that alcohol sales haven’t significantly come down ever since SC’s ban was imposed from April 1.
