Online sale of liquor could attract liquor consumption among minors: Merchants' Union

A liquor & wine merchants' union in Shivamogga staged a protest outside the District Magistrate office on Tuesday, against the state government allowing online liquor sales in Karnataka.

"We're here to protest online alcohol business as it can give liquor to people below 18 years of age,"Union's Treasurer Chandrashekhar told .

Urging the government to shelve the plan to sell liqour online, he said,"The most important reason for all of us to protest is the government's proposal to sell the liquor online which will attract minors to alcohol consumption.The excise department officers allot the license throwing all the guidelines into the winds and asked the government should order a probe into irregularities."

"The protest is against the government for reducing our profit margin from 20 percent to 10 per cent with which it is unable to handle business smoothly, particularly in the midst of a COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, there is a lot of corruption in the department in sanctioning Mysore Sales International Limited (MSIL) liquor outlets and CL7 licenses ," he said pointing to the problems faced by liquor outlets.

He added "CL7 is supposed to be issued to only at tourist places but officers are going across the lines to make money and it is heard that some politicians are also involved in the corruption. MSIL is also being distributed without any reason. A new MSIL shop is allowed where another MSIL is already operating. Media and government should know that MSIL should only be allowed in places where liquor is not available".

( With inputs from ANI )