Tuesday, Jun 25, 2002
Tuesday, Jun 25, 2002 |
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New Delhi
By Our Staff Reporter
According to insiders in the Delhi Government, a final draft of the guidelines is being prepared for submission to the Government for approval. While drawing up the basic rules for throwing open the liquor trade to the private sector players, it has been kept in mind that vested interests do not develop and there is a healthy and competitive environment which would ensure level playing field for all and no monopolies. It has been observed very often that if the liquor vends are put up for auctioning, a cartel would be formed which would not allow the bids to go beyond a certain price limit. In this process, all the players get together and decide not to bid for a particular area beyond a certain price. After the allotment is made, the profits are divided equally among all the players and the Government is deprived of revenue in the whole process. Similarly, the tendering process is also not thought to be a very safe and transparent option. Here those filling the tenders in response to the Government notification form a "tender mafia'' where genuine players are not allowed to operate. Here threat and coercion is the name of the game as the stakes are very high. In this context and learning from the experience of other States, the authorities are understood to have settled for the lottery system. Although, the proposal has not come before the Delhi Cabinet, it is likely that the phased privatisation of liquor trade would be done through this process only. The Government, sources said, was also contemplating a hefty hike in the license fee for private vends. It presently charges Rs. 1 lakh from the Government-run liquor outlets. But this fee is considered inadequate and it is likely that a hefty increase in the license fee would be effected for the private parties. At the same time, authorities are of the view that no restrictions should be placed on the brands and quantity of liquor that these private vends could store. The choice of the liquor should, at best, be left to the consumer and it should be left to the market forces to determine which of the brands is the best and popular. It will purely be survival of the fittest. The shops run by government owned Corporations have to measure up to the upcoming competition. They have to change with times or face elimination. Certain provisions like the area of the shop, proposed to be around 300 sq feet, introduction of walk-in shop concepts, use of information technology and provision for mandatory installation of freezers to serve chilled beer are also proposed for the private players. "The Corporation-owned outlets would have to match the aggressive marketing by the private players and making unmatching offers to the consumers if they intend to survive. Indifferent attitude would have to be replaced with efficiency and service with smile. No more brand pushing would work and people would have to be served what they demand,'' remarked a senior official.
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