BHUBANESWAR: After a day of suspense and wait, Odisha Government’s home delivery of liquor plan played out on a chaotic note as customers ended up in long queues outside retail stores on Monday.
Many were seen lining up before the stores since early hours of the day whereas at other places, the queue got longer in the evening. Police was on its toes trying to control the crowd and explain that it was supposed to be delivered at home, not over the counter.
Clearly, there was confusion galore as the system was new to customers and retailers alike. Besides, stores were not keen on home delivery either. With no clarity available, people turned up before the shops.
In front of a shop at Cuttack-Puri Road, a crowd gathered in the evening when a staff asked them to wait under Bomikhal overbridge and buy on the spot by paying cash. Similar scenes prevailed at Buddha Nagar, Bapuji Nagar and other places in the City on the day.
At Old Station Bazaar, ACP Rabindranath Satapathy saw a long queue in front of a store and dispersed the crowd. When he summoned the shop officials, they told him that customers had booked ‘over the phone’ and came to collect. The police issued a warning. In Palasuni, Mancheswar Police conducted a surprise check and several customers fled the spot fearing lathi-charge. One customer, Ajay Kumar said he was not aware of home delivery or the fact that phone numbers of liquor off-shops were available on the website of Odisha State Beverages Corporation Limited (OSBCL).
“I paid Rs 1,000 for a full unit but after police raided the spot. Now the owner has downed shutters. Neither did I get my buy nor was refunded,” he added.
Many customers alleged that retailers were not receiving calls or switched off mobile phones.
Genesis of the problem was retailers neither have manpower to carry out home delivery nor adequate point of sale machines to accept card payments.
Additional CP Anup Kumar Sahoo held a meeting with of retailers and asked them to follow the order of the Government which included use of food aggregators in home delivery.
“The retailers were cautioned against counter sale and asked to make home delivery. Involvement of food aggregators was also advised,” said Sahoo.
However, Khurda Foreign Liquor Owners’ Association was not keen on using food aggregators as it would mean each day’s payment will take four to seven days to reach them.
“There is also risk of anti-socials snatching away liquor from delivery boys of food aggregators. Who will bear the loss?” asked association’s member Ramakanta Pradhan.
Though the association assured that its members would engage delivery boys and adopt to the new system soon, members were apprehensive that they will not be able to generate minimum guaranteed revenue since 75 per cent consumers in Khurda district would shy away from home delivery. “There is hardly any sale of scotch after business resumed.
A scotch bottle worth Rs 1,760 before lockdown, now costs Rs 2,440 and not many citizens are eager to buy expensive liquor,” said Pradhan about the 50 percent Covid levy imposed by the Government.
10,689 bulk litre of beer sold About 672 on/off shops began home delivery of liquor across Odisha. By Monday end, at least 9,440 bulk litre foreign liquor and 10,689 bulk litre beer were sold across the State, Excise Department said.
“The shops delivered 8,420 orders on Monday with Cuttack, Khurda and Sundargarh districts accounting for maximum orders,” said a senior official.
Man duped by fake online liquor vendor A man who tried to order liquor online was allegedly duped by a cyber fraudster of Rs 1.36 lakh in the City.
Complainant AK Barik of Mancheswar said he received a telephone call on Sunday afternoon to buy alcohol, which would be delivered at his residence. Barik reportedly paid Rs 200 to the conman through PhonePe app. Subsequently, a total of Rs 1,36,500 got deducted from his account in installments. Mancheswar police has launched an investigation.