Despite high rates, buyers want their quota of liquor

This being the common trend during the restriction period with no urban-rural divide, illicit sellers are making fast buck by selling the stuff at double the original price. When the election time closes in, the rates are expected to go up manifold. Some clandestine buyers, not bothered about the ‘inflation’, said that they were ready for this situation. “Our concern was the availability of drinks. The scene will be same on the day of counting of votes as well,” they added.

The black marketeers too were prepared well ahead of the ban period to tackle the situation by ‘hoarding’ hundreds of crates of liquor bottles in their secret ‘warehouses. 

“Big thanks to a friend who tipped me on the place of liquor sale in Velachery,” said A Santosh, who made a series of frantic calls to his colleagues living in various places across the city to locate a bootlegger. “The normal rate of the stuff I buy is around Rs 170. However, I was able to get some random brand, whose original price was 90, for Rs 175,” he said.

However, an official from TASMAC admitted that there was an increase in sale from 25 per cent to 35 per cent in the last 10 days. “But, we are not violating any norms and the sale can be attributed to the sweltering heat as well,” he said.