Bikes, Foreign Tour Tickets on Offer to Liquor Buyers To Boost Sales
One offer is that if a consumer purchases their liquor and scans the label on the bottle in his phone number, it gets registered.
Kakinada: Many flexes are placed prominently in some of the liquor shops in Kakinada district, giving luring offers to those who buy liquor bottles. However, these shops have not received the liquor stocks of the company that is making strange offers.
One offer is that if a consumer purchases their liquor and scans the label on the bottle in his phone number, it gets registered. Later, in a lottery draw, the winner can get prizes like bikes. The first winner would be offered a return air ticket to Thailand.
This lure gives a new ray of hope to many liquor bidders who are faced with lack of sufficient sales from their outlets. The government cut half of their commission in the name of taxes and hence there would be too little of profit for them.
According to one liquor shop owner, he along with six persons organised money and invested in the business. But, they are facing a daily loss of around 10,000. Liquor shop owners expected that the government would give them tax exemption, which would help them offset the losses.
BC Sangham leader Venugopal, who invested in a liquor shop said that the government is imposing heavy taxes on these shops. He criticised the notification for shop allotments for “Settibalija, Eetha, Srisayana and Goud” communities. He said chief minister Chandrababu Naidu had announced that 20 per cent of the shops will be allotted to these BC communities. But, the non-refundable deposit fee was fixed at Rs 2 lakh.
He said, “In the general category also, the government fixed the same `2 lakh as deposit fee. Many investors set up their shops in main junctions and such areas. Now, the government has not reduced the deposit amount even as it allotted shops in areas where there will be no sales.”
He said the BC community and working class formed into major chunks of the population in Kakinada Rural constituency. But, no single shop has been allotted to Kakinada Rural Constituency. Also, there is no Gouda caste in the BC list. But, the government allotted the shops for people from this caste. Then, who can take the shops, he asked.
Meanwhile, taxpayers suggested that the government should not increase the commission on liquor sales to the
bidders as the state is in dire financial straits.