BENGALURU: The Federation of Wine Merchants Association of Karnataka has called off the statewide strike of liquor shops, originally scheduled for Wednesday.
The association had planned a day-long strike across the state to protest against the alleged corruption in the excise department and to press their other demands.
The decision to call off the strike came after a meeting between association members and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday afternoon at the Chief Minister's official residence, Krishna.
General Secretary of the association Govindaraj Hegde confirmed to The New Indian Express that the strike has been called off. He stated that the strike was initially planned to highlight several issues, including alleged corruption in the excise department and harassment of liquor vendors. During the meeting, the Chief Minister ordered the formation of a committee to address these concerns and directed it to submit a report within a week.
The CM also assured the association that their demands would be considered sympathetically reviewed. He promised measures to support liquor sellers in generating more revenue for the government. Additionally, he instructed the Excise Commissioner to refrain from harassing liquor vendors.
The CM further directed officials to review the problems faced by liquor vendors regarding the implementation of the counseling system for transfers within the excise department and to submit a report.