Hyderabad: The Excise Department has warned wine shop dealers against selling liquor at prices more than the MRP taking advantage of Dasara festival.
If anyone found guilty of doing so, a fine of Rs 2 lakh would be imposed on them and the shops licence would be suspended for a week. Special teams have identified that eight shops in Hyderabad,Nalgonda, Wanaparty and Nizamabad districts sold liquor at higher prices on Friday and Saturday.
Excise Department has warned wine shop dealers of imposing a fine of Rs 2 lakh if found guilty.
If any shop owner tried to cash in on the Dasara festival demand for wine, the axe would fall on them, the officials threatened. The Excise Department has constituted an additional state level task force teams four, enforcement teams 10, and district task force teams 34.
Anyone can lodge a complaint with the excise authorities if anyone dealer is found selling at prices higher than the MRP.
According to reports from Sircilla, wine shop dealers have exorbitantly increased the rates on account of the festival. The Bar and Restaurants are also selling the liquor at higher prices.
The wine traders have been collecting Rs 10 extra on each beer bottle and on each quarter bottle and Rs 50 extra on full bottle on account of the festival.
This has been the case in respect of at least 75 per cent of the wine shops. There are 42 wine shops and six bar and restaurants in Sircilla-Rajanna district. There are at least 1000 belt shops in the district linked to these wine shops and bars.
The belt shops have also been charging more than Rs 10 on quarter bottle and Rs 50 on full bottle, levied in wine shops.
Authored by Mohammed Hussain, mohammedhussain.reporter@gmail.com Twitter: @writetohussain