Tirupati: The demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes has affected the liquor sales in Chittoor district. After the announcement of ban on big notes on Tuesday, the liquor sales has come down by 50 percent where the liquor shops have imposed restrictions on customers for taking the invalid notes.
Many liquor shops in Tirupati have stopped taking the banned notes while some shops are asking the customers to take liquor for the total amount. The district consists of 396 wine shops and 18 bars, which used to do a business of Rs 10 crore per day and during holidays and weekends the sales will go up. But, after the ban on big currency, the liquor sales has drastically come down where the sales was not crossed even Rs 4 crores for the past two days across the district.
According to excise officials the liquor sales on Wednesday after the demonetisation announcement came was only Rs 3 crores. After opening of the banks on Wednesday the liquor sales raised for '4 crores and on Friday it was between Rs 4 and Rs 4.50 crores, they said. The liquor shop owners argued that they are ready to accept the banned notes but they dont have enough change to return to customers due to shortage of Rs 100 and Rs 50 notes.
“The customers can purchase with banned notes for the entire amount. Even though we are not authorised to take the banned notes but keeping our customers interests and to sustain the sales, we are taking those notes. Any how we have to stop taking these notes as it may not be possible to us to exchange them in the coming days,” said a liquor shop owner at Annarao circle.
Meanwhile, several liquor shops in Tirupati, which witnesses heavy crowd on weekends have wore deserted look and the dhabas, subsidiary to liquor shops which were located on the outskirts of Mangalam road, MR Palli were not functioning due to lack of customers. According to a dhaba owner, if there is fall of liquor sales, who comes to our dhaba for having only beverages. If the situation continues for some more days, we have to close down our dhabas, as it is not possible to pay rent and salaries to our employees, he said.
