KAPURTHALAL, India: The antiliquor campaign by militants in Punjab adversely affected the auction of 82 liquor vends in this district as no bidders came forward while as many as 27 vends causing a loss of Rs. 1.33 crores to the government, The auction which took place earlier on 22nd had to be postponed because the government could not get even the reserve price and the turnout was very poor. The excise’ department officials who conducted the auction had said that the 55 vends could be auctioned for Rs. 4.14 crores as against last year’s earnings of 5.73 crores from the auction of all the 82 liquor vends. The worst hit area was Bhalath the constancy of N.S.A. detained Sukhjinder Singh Unified Akali Dal leader where only two out of

15 vends could be auctioned. Nobidder came forward for buying the end at Ramgarh, the home village of Sukhjinder Singh. Of the two vends auctioned in Bhalath area the bidder at Bhalath escaped after giving a bid for Rs. 14.62 lakhs. The department officials had left in a jeep to look for the contractor according to excise officials.

There was no bidder for all the 5 vends which were burnt by freedom fighters recently at Atti Thulli Sidhwan, Begowal, Lakhan Ke, Pade and Manak villages. The contractor whose vend was burnt at Lakhanke Pade and Begowal did not turn up for auction. He lifted all the contents three days before the contract expires on the ending of finance year on March 31st.

All the 27 vends which could not be auctioned for lack of bidders are located in rural areas worse hit by antiliquor campaign. Two of these vends were for Indian made foreign liquor. All the vends located in urban area of Sultan Pur Lodhi, Kapurthala and Phagwara were however auctioned but price of Rs. 25.23 paise per bottle as against 27.07 paise per bottle last year. Those stalwarts in business who did not do any business this year as nearly all of them had received threatening letters from various militant organizations. Five A.LS.S.F. Activist was seen roaming about near the auction venue in a bid to pressurize the contractors against bidding according to a contractor.

Article extracted from this publication >>  April 3, 1987