Those who like their drink are staring at a liquor crisis for a few days starting Friday, when partial prohibition kicks in.
While all private liquor shops will close down at 10pm on Thursday, most of the new shops to be run by Bihar State Beverages Corporation Limited (BSBCL) are unlikely to open by Friday.
The Telegraph visited a number of BSBCL-run shops on Wednesday and found that work in most shops were in the initial stages. While many shops lacked wooden frames, others lacked store staples such as counters and refrigerators.
Three shops at Raj Market on Ashiana-Digha road did not have shutters and masons were constructing boundary walls.
Apart from wooden shelves for keeping the bottles, nothing else could be seen. A few shops in the central part of the city were in a slightly better position. One of the shops at the ground floor of Jaiprakash Commercial Complex had wooden frames, counter as well as air-conditioner installed. Work had just started on developing three shops in Fazal Imam Complex. “It might take another three to four days for the shop to be ready,” said the store manager at one of the BSBCL-run shops in the Dakbungalow area.
Though BSBCL managing director Mithilesh Mishra claimed that efforts are on to open 500 out of 650 proposed shops on April 1, he didn’t rule out the possibility of hiccups.
Mishra said all managers have been asked to apply for liquor licence from the excise department on Thursday. BSBCL-run shops will not be authorised to sell liquor unless they are granted the licence. Mishra said Rs 157 crore is required to be paid to the excise department and the BSBCL would pay Rs 65 crore initially to get the shops opened.
Mishra also held a meeting with store managers to deliberate on the modus operandi for running the shops. “Sale of liquor from our shops would be done with receipts. Liquor would be sold at maximum retail price only. Managers have been informed that they would be supplied required stationeries, including receipt books on Friday,” said Mishra.
Sources claimed that the seal on all liquor bottles except beer would be broken at the counter itself at the time of sale. BSBCL-run shops would run from 10am to 10pm, similar to the existing private liquor shops.
More private liquor shops downed their shutter on Wednesday, while others put up notice boards informing people about closure of the shops. “I closed my shop at Dakbungalow crossing as my entire stock was exhausted,” said Karan Gandhi, co-owner of the shop.
There are 424 shops in Patna district as of now, whereas 121 shops are targeted to be run by BSBCL from April 1, including 90 in the Patna Municipal Corporation area. The list containing locations of all 121 shops was released on Tuesday.
