Meanwhile, women liquor consumers have been pressing for the opening of liquor vends in city malls on the lines of those in Delhi and Gurgaon as they face difficulty in buying liquor from the existing shops in the city.
Noida residents have gulped down liquor worth Rs 775 crore in the current financial year so far (April 1, 2017 to January 31, 2018). If the consumption trend continues, the net sales in Gautam Budh Nagar will be to the tune of nearly Rs 930 crore by the end of the current fiscal.
Officials of the district excise department said there is an increase in the consumption of high-end liquor and women drinkers are also on the rise.
“In the 2017-18 financial year, country liquor consumption till January-end was 66.71 lakh litres. As many as 46.22 lakh bottles (750 ml) of India made foreign liquor (IMFL) and 123 lakh bottles (650 ml) of beer were consumed. As compared to the previous year, consumption of country liquor has registered an 11.3% increase while beer registered a 1.49% increase. The consumption of IMFL has increased by 12.45%,” Rakesh Kumar Singh, district excise officer, Gautam Budh Nagar, said.
The total liquor sale value till January 31 was at Rs 775 crore, officials said.
However, one liquor shop in Ashok Nagar on the Noida-Delhi border has been affecting the excise revenue of Gautam Budh Nagar as residents often buy liquor from this shop and the revenue goes to Delhi. Further, a large number of Noida residents working in Delhi may buy liquor from Delhi shops as it is cheaper there.
“If we take this into account, then the actual consumption by Noida residents may be 30% more than the actual sale of liquor from licensed shops,” Arpit Sharma, salesman at a liquor shop, said.
As for the change in the sale and consumption of liquor in Gautam Budh Nagar, the district excise officer said canned beer sale has been on the rise.
“Young people prefer canned beer. Increase in high-end IMFL has also been noticed. The increase in these two segments during 2017-18 was around 5% and 10%, respectively,” Singh said.
Meanwhile, women liquor consumers have been pressing for the opening of liquor vends in city malls on the lines of those in Delhi and Gurgaon as they face difficulty in buying liquor from the existing shops in the city.
“We cannot go to the vends in the markets. The men there stare at us and we feel awkward and embarrassed. So we prefer telling our male friends to purchase liquor for us. There should be liquor vends in Noida malls just like those in Delhi,” a senior executive of a MNC in Sector 63, Noida, said.
Another senior woman executive, on condition of anonymity, said,“Once a guard in our housing society bought a wine bottle for me. I paid him Rs 2,400. But its taste was different and I threw up after having it. Now I am buying wine from Delhi malls as there is no such facility here in Noida.”
Singh said,“As of now, there is no liquor vend in malls in Noida. However, it can be considered if request is made to the excise commissioner and the state government.”
