BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Government’s decision not to open liquor shops appears to have driven some people in the business very desperate. On Thursday, a letter - purportedly issued by Excise Department - carrying details of home delivery system proposed by the Government did rounds on the social media. But the cheer among the parched souls was shortlived as it was found to be fake.
The so-called letter stated a six-member committee comprising of Odisha State Beverages Corporation Limited (OSBCL) Managing Director, Excise Deputy Commissioner, Cuttack, Superintendents of Excise Berhampur, Khurda and Jajpur has been formed to finalise the charges of home delivery by liquor licensees and food aggregators. The Excise Commissioner will issue a notification in this regard, the letter stated.
While it raised hopes for early commencement of liquor sales, the Excise Department was quick to dismiss it as fake. “We have not received any order from the State Government; neither has any meeting been held or committee formed to fix the charges for home delivery of liquor,” Excise Commissioner Anjan Kumar Manik told ‘The Express.’
Interestingly, the fake order said the Excise Commissioner has constituted the panel to determine charges of home delivery of alcohol basing on similar orders by West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand Governments. It even said food aggregators interested to participate in home delivery of alcohol could apply for a no objection certificate from the Excise Commissioner, Cuttack, along with one application, copy of the registration certificate, urban local body/block name and location, share details as well as photographs of the delivery persons to be engaged to the Excise Superintendents concerned for approval and with National Informatics Centre through OSBCL.
It even said, consumers can contact their nearest retail stores over the phone, WhatsApp or a text message and order alcohol for home delivery.The fake letter also had a list of do’s and don’ts for the aggregators and the retailers asked them not to charge beyond the MRP and the delivery fees. A maximum of 5 litres of beer and 2.5 litres of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) can be booked by a consumer per invoice, said the letter.