Hyderabad: Retail liquor vendors in Telangana are putting pressure on the State Retail Wine Merchants Association to declare a state-wide closure of liquor shops in protest against the 14 per cent licence fee for the extended licence period of one month, and also raids by the vigilance department on shops that are alleged to be selling liquor in excess of the MRP.
Several liquor vendors have closed shops themselves ahead of the profitable Dasara day to protest the vigilance raids in various parts of the state.
The vendors want to show their displeasure at the liquor policy and want to shut their shops in protest, but the Association said the liquor vendors cannot go on strike against the excise policy and the state government.
Mr Venkateswarlu, the president of the Association, told this correspondent that the state government has extended the licence period of liquor shops by one month and for the extension it has charged 14 per cent fee for that month.
He said the retail dealer is in deficit of around 8 per cent of sale in the month due to higher fees.
He said this is the cause of “heart burn” for the vendors. When extending the licence period for a month, excise authorities had orally permitted the retailers to collect price which is more than MRP. But now they are raiding the shops and booking cases against the retailers.
Mr Venkateswarlu said the Association will meet in a day or two to take a final call on the demand of the members of the Association.
