Bars make hay as wine shops run dry

Karimnagar: Bars are teeming with a large number of customers as several wine shops have been closed due to lack of liquor stocks. According to the model code of conduct, wine shops and bars should not sell more liquor than what they had disposed in the previous year. Accordingly, sooner or later, the bars too will run out of stocks. However, the consumers are lamenting over the non availability of liquor.

Many bars located in and on the outskirts of the city are making huge profits by raising the prices of alcohol following shortage of stock at the wine shops.

“In order to curb politicians from wooing voters with liquor, we have imposed a quota on the supply of alcohol to wine shops. The ration will be in force till the end of the poll process. Till then, owners of wine shops and bars have to manage the show with whatever they had purchased before the ann-ouncement of the poll sche-dule,” said C. Narsimha Reddy, excise superintendent of Karimnagar division.

Some wine shops are selling limited stocks per day. “I could buy just one bottle. They did not sell a second one to me saying the supply is in quota,” said A. Srinivas Reddy, a customer from Bhagathnagar.

Excise officials said that the situation would worsen once the stocks in the bars also dry up.