Liquor bottles to have security seal in Punjab

Jalandhar, Apr 26 (UNI) The Punjab government has decided to put security seal on every liquor bottle to be sold in the state to check adulteration and smuggling of liquor.

''We have decided to put security labels, also called hologram stickers, on every liquor bottle bearing complete information, to check adulteration and smuggling of liquor in the state,'' Excise and Taxation Commissioner A Venu Prasad told mediapersons here today, after the lottery draw for liquor vends ended.

This year nearly 99 per cent liquor vends were allotted in phase one as opposed to only 80 per cent last year. The remaining liquor vends would be allotted on April 28, he added.

Mr Prasad said the government has earned Rs 28 crore this year through application fess which is Rs 20 crore more than the last year.

''Despite the decrease in the number of vends this year, the revenue has increased. It is nearly Rs 135 crore more than the Rs 1525 crore last year,''he said.

According to him, the additional features of this year's policy stipulate that any allottee could buy 30 per cent liquor from any distillery as per the choice of the consumers, while the remaining 70 per cent has to be bought from the alloted distilleries only.

Also, any country liquor vendor could sell IMFL by surrendering 15 per cent of the quota and vice-versa, he added.

UNI