The Hindu : Karnataka News : Liquor merchants’ decision may hit tourism in Goa

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Tuesday, Apr 14, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Liquor merchants’ decision may hit tourism in Goa

Special Correspondent

PANAJI: The decision of liquor wholesalers and retailers in the coastal tourist State to stop selling liquor in view of their inability to cope with the directives of the election authorities to produce daily sale and stock statements for inspection till the Lok Sabha election process is completed is feared to affect tourism. Bar owners in the city have said that the decision could mean a shortage of beer which is the most favoured drink during the hot season.

The “stop-liquor-sale” protest would continue till April 23, Bernabe Sapeco, convenor of the Liquor Traders’ Association, told The Hindu. As part of the vigil against possible free flow of liquor during electioneering in the State, the election authorities have began monitoring of operations by distilleries as well as wholesalers and distributors. As free flowing liquor is one of the major problems that haunts the election authorities during every election in this coastal tourist State, which has nearly 10,000 liquor outlets, big and small, the State Excise has been directed to act firmly.

Apart from that, the Excise Department has been asked to take the help of the police as well as the police of neighbouring Karnataka to curb the import and export of illicit liquor from across the State borders.

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