Travel vehicle drivers turns peddlers amid Coronavirus outbreak in Tirupati

Tirupati: Following the COVID-19 impact few travel vehicles drivers have turned as peddlers in Tirupati city. Interestingly they have no previous criminal background, whereas now they turned as habitual peddlers in Karnataka cheap liquor sales. Till four months ago they had an income source by driving travel vehicles. Due to continuous COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and restrictions over-tourism vehicles operation, they lost employment and struggled for survival, this situation led to turn as peddlers. Among them few forcefully changed the profession as peddlers , some of them willingly entered the field to earn huge money and started illegal liquor sales and supply in the religious city.

In the situation, few travels drivers have chosen the illegal liquor peddler profession to earn money easily. And started transporting the not duty paid Karnataka liquor against the AP state excise and prohibition department rules. Came to now that few drivers are using their vehicles for transporting Karnataka liquor to Tirupati city. Naturally, as neighbouring state Karnatak is very nearer to Chittoor district, many peddlers took this as an advantage and dumping non-duty paid liquor for illegal sales.

On other side, the AP government is selling liquor at higher prices, for example, Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IFML) quarter selling at Rs 180. It is very unbearable to alcohol addictions. Especially lower-income groups, who are working as daily labourers, are looking for low price illegal liquor sales.

Few drivers entered into this not duty paid liquor peddling and getting profits on each quarter bottle at least Rs 80 profit. Within the short-term they are earning huge profits through this illegal business, Tirupati special enforcement bureau (SEB) cases statistics have been showing these facts.

According to SEB information out of 46 arrested persons 22 belongs to the travel industry and previously they worked as cab drivers. Now there is no livelihood to travel industry drivers, hence as many as turned as habitual peddlers of the non duty paid liquor or Karnatala liquor in the Tirupati city.

In recent raids SEB police seized huge Karnatak liquor tetra packets from few travel drivers and noticed that most of them previous worked as drivers in tourism cab drivers to Tirumala. Above the mentioned habitual peddlers all are residents of Tirupati Urban and Rural areas.

SEB AES M Sudheer Babu told The Hans India we are placing continuous surveillance on habitual peddlers who were involved in non duty paid liquor sales and trying to counsel them to bring change. " More than 40 % of the accused previously worked as travel vehicles drivers and now they have turned as peddlers", Said AES Babu.