It pays to live on hope. Look at history; it is studded with instances of situations changing thanks to people who did not give in to prevailing conditions. Now for a considerable section of society, there is much to pray and hope for.
The liquor trade in the country and specifically in Goa has been hit with as many as 3178 establishments having to shut because they were within the 500 metres area from the National Highway. There are over 11000 licensed liquor vendors in the State. Several retail outlet chains have been affected.
Kirit Maganlal has five retail outlets of which two have been affected, one in Porvorim and the other in Margao. Almost 15% of the sales from the outlet in Margoa came from the sale of alcohol, he said. The outlet in Miramar generated 15% of its sales from alcohol. The process was on to get the license for the Porvorim outlet but now it was in limbo. Mr Maganlal said “The stock can be sold in our outlets across the State but we are keeping our fingers crossed.”
Speaking of the ruling he said “We have not studied the ruling, it has to be deciphered. We have to present our case in a logical manner. The problem is the business in the State is fragmented. We cannot have fractured lobbies. We have to study the spirit of the ruling. Gurgaon has managed. They also had a similar situation. It is a matter of interpretation; I believe the Supreme Court is fair and we have to show them the logic for our actions which can happen when we file our review petition.”
Another businessman in the hospitality industry grimaced and said “Can someone please tell me what is going to happen to all those wedding parties we signed up for six months ago. We have taken the advance and now I am answering calls from them about the present situation, some I think will cancel and I will have to give the money back, the losses will be huge.”
Like him there are retailers who have had to shut shop and pray that the powers that be, help provide a solution.
Denzil Nunes, proprietor, Panjim Wines, who has been in the business for 18 years is now wondering if there will ever be light at the end of the tunnel. Mr Nunes expressed his fears about the future.
He said “I have to pay school fees, EMI for the car and house. I don’t have the money for that. The margins are very low and we depend on high turnover. We are open even on Sundays. This decision was a bomb, I did not anticipate this. “
Denzil believes the measurements from the highway to his shop do not make him fall in the “zone”. He said “I am 1.7 kms away from the highway where as the excise department measured it as 380 meters as per the radius measurement. My shop is not visible from the highway.”
With regards to the future he said Datta Prasad Naik, president, Goa Liquor Traders Association was very helpful and he had a meeting with the CM who had promised all assistance.
He said “I am keeping all my faith in him and I am sure, it will work out fine”. When asked what would happen if the situation did not work out in a favorable manner, he said “I have stock valued at Rs 20 lakh and it will have to be sold, perhaps at a loss because the companies I purchased it from do not have a reverse billing system. All the taxes have been paid.”
Another retailer, presently shut, Novelty House and Wine Store, is living on hope. Jagdish Bharadwaj said “We are around 600 metres from the bus stand and there is confusion. We decided to stay shut because we just don’t know the situation. Datta Prasad has promised us all assistance and said the CM would find a way.”
Savio Messias, president, TTAG and someone who has experienced the rough end himself said the retailers in Vasco had to move to Bogmalo . People with stock he said had problems because of the paucity of godowns with adequate space. People were also stuck with stocks because in the summer many companies come up with fantastic offers. He said there was a party in Panjim that had picked up Corona beer stock for a few lakh. The problem was it was not a fast moving beer in Goa and it was now a serious problem for him.
The State government, Mr Messias said had promised various steps like de-notifying State Highways, allowing the transfer of licences and more importantly filing a petition in the Supreme Court.
Mr Messias said “We are working with the Federation of Hotel and Restaurants of Indian FHRA and the State government. We are in the process of gathering information as to the extent of loss. We are getting responses from various restaurants and hotels.”
According to national statistics, the loss to the exchequer is to the tune of Rs 2,00,000 crore with lakh of outlets affected. A long time restauranteur based in the north smiled and said “Many people who have outlets and have been shut are selling on the sly. The Supreme Court’s ruling is being violated, I believe that petition has to be filed at the earliest otherwise the effect on the State’s economy can only be imagined.”
