DISCOTHEQUES
No one is nursing a hangover at Hangover Lounge at Boring Canal Road’s GV Mall late in the evening; in fact, there
are no people inside.
“It has been like this for the past week,” said Roshan Singh, in charge of security at the discotheque. “The liquor ban has definitely hit sales. Footfall has dipped drastically. Earlier, it used to be packed with people. The number of people at any given point of time used to be around 200. Now, it is not even 30.”
He added: “Around Rs 60 lakh was spent on opening the disco. It will be very difficult to recover costs, forget sustaining it. We have already laid off the bartender because of prohibition.”
WEDDING CEREMONIES
Weddings are not what they used to be. One does not come across baraatis doing the Naagin dance any more. A man at a wedding procession said: “We used to celebrate after downing a few pegs. It was just light-hearted fun. But the government’s move has come as a dampener. We just don’t feel like dancing. Sometimes we sway to the beats, but the enthusiasm is all gone.”
Some are even planning to shift their reception venues outside dry Bihar. “My wedding is scheduled in Hajipur in November, but I have decided to hold the reception in Bangalore where I work,” said Saurabh Jha from Hajipur who works at a private firm in Bangalore. “I know many people won’t be able to make it but I don’t want a dull reception.”
FAST FOOD JOINTS
At Spicy Fast Food, near Boring Road crossing, very few people are gorging on snacks.
“The sale of chicken items has definitely gone down,” said manager Sonu Kumar. “But people are not buying vegetarian items either.”
Asked about his losses, a visibly upset Sonu said: “We are incurring losses of around Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per day.”
There are around 20 stalls at the crossing and they all face the same predicament. The owner of an eatery who did not wish to be named said: “We are planning to lay off some staff. Earlier, the footfall used to be around 200 daily, it has now dipped to around 40.”
A little further down, near Patna zoo’s Gate No. 1, there are stalls that sell a variety of items such as litti choka (a Bihar delicacy), chowmein and cold drinks. Litti chokha used to be in great demand here and the place is popular because Bollywood star Aamir Khan had savoured the fare here. But the stalls look deserted now. “Sales are down by 25 per cent,” said Bunty Kumar Yadav, owner of Bunty Fast Food. “A lot of people used to meet after work here. That buzz is gone. Apart from a dip in the number of people eating at these joints, even takeaway orders have come down.”
EVENING GET-TOGETHERS
Even evening “addas (hangout places)” at Hartali Mor are not what they used to be.
A roadside vendor selling eggs and rolls on a cart was initially reluctant to talk about the impact of prohibition. After a little prodding, he admitted sales had dipped. He wouldn’t disclose the amount but said sales were down by 60 per cent.
Overhearing the conversation, some bystanders joined in to say prohibition was a bad move. Another thelawala was more forthcoming. “Till a month ago, I used to earn Rs 3,000 a day. Now I hardly make Rs 800,” he said. “On any given day, around 200 people would come down here to chat on various topics. Now, around 50 turn up. Business was good till even a few weeks back. We used to sell stuff all night. We now have to wind up by 10pm.”
MEAT SALES
Even meat sales have dipped. Mohammad Naushad Qureshi, owner of Naushad Meat Shop at Raja Bazaar, said: “Earlier, I used to sell five-six goats daily. Now, I sell just two goats. Sometimes, we have to throw away the rest. We are running into losses.”
He added: “The goats I procured used to last a week. Now, the same quantity of meat is sold in two-three weeks.” The reason for reduced sales is hotels and restaurants have trimmed their orders, taking a huge chunk off his earning.
At the adjoining poultry shop, the owner said sales were down by 10 per cent for a week: “From selling around 150kg a day, I now manage to sell 70kg only.”
PROFESSIONALS
The blanket ban on liquor has hit urbanites. Young people who used to look forward to a peg or two to celebrate maybe a wedding, a first job or Team India’s win now have to be content with soft drinks and munchies. “The ban has come as a blow,” said Nikhil Mani (32), who works for a private firm in the city. “Having a peg or two of your favourite poison to let your hair down, especially to celebrate, does not make one an alcoholic. The policy is regressive.” Many like Nikhil believe the ban infringes upon their choice.
HOTELS
Hotels have reported decline in business. Till last month, a number of seminars and conferences used to be held in hotels like Maurya, Chanakya and Gargee Grand. However, all such events are now gradually turning into one-day events as many professionals avoid staying overnight because of non-availability of liquor.
“Most seminars have been cancelled and we have received very few bookings for weddings. Corporate clients tend to leave Patna by evening flights. We are suffering heavy losses,” said Narendra Kumar, owner of Hotel Windsor on Exhibition Road. He added that since regional headquarters of most companies are either in Patna or Jharkhand, seminars and workshops are now mostly held in Ranchi.
Pictures by Aniruddha Biswas
