The offtake of liquor from Karnataka State Beverages Corporation Limited (KSBCL) is expected to come down from July. This is because about 3,600 liquor vends are expected to temporarily close, and/or are in the process of relocation due to a Supreme Court order that bars sale of alcohol within a distance of 500 metres from highways.
Officials estimate that the decline could be in the range of 10 percent. Already the offtake of IML has come down so far owing to the confusion of the closure and relocation of liquor selling establishments, sources in KSBCL said.
In 2016, about 41.12 lakh cases of IML had been lifted from June 1 to June 28; this year it has only been 38.56 lakh cases till June 28. According to KSBCL official, the exact drop in offtake of IML will be known by the end of July.
A source said that a total of 49 lakh cases of IML was lifted from the depots in June last year. Beer, on the other hand, has proven to be an exception. Offtake of beer till June 28 has increased from 17.25 lakh cases last year to 18.76 lakh cases this year.