Nellore: Liquor, beer sales dip on New Year day

Nellore: Restrictions on retail liquor shops run by the government and changes in timings for bars and restaurants resulted in the reduced sale of liquor and beer. Further, New Year revelry also proved to be a costly affair this year due to increased prices of liquor in bars and restaurants. There has been an 18-pc reduction in liquor sales and 60 pc in beer sales in New Year celebrations.

Data says 14,476 cases of liquor and 9,942 cases of beer were sold on December 31, 2018, and the volume significantly reduced this year. It came down to 5,967 cases of liquor and 1,602 cases of beer on the day. Further, it was 8,624 cases of liquor and 4,102 cases of beer on Jan 1, 2019, and it recorded 1,141 cases of liquor and 501 cases of beer on Jan 1, 2020.

Sales were reduced in the month of December, 2019 due to restrictions and changes in timings; 2,29,288 cases of liquor and 1,17,443 cases of beer were sold in December 2018 and the volume confined to 1,18,865 cases of liquor and 46,743 cases of beer during 2019 in both Nellore and Gudur excise divisions.

Officials say this as an indication for disinterest of the tipplers on liquor and beer consumption owing to restrictions being implemented by the state government. They had booked more than 1,000 cases on the people who violated the excise guidelines conducting raids of more than 800 belt shops. They have also booked 141 cases against bars and shops that violated the norms.