AGRA: What began as an end-of-year stock clearance quietly introduced by liquor vendors turned, almost overnight, into a statewide spectacle — thanks to a ‘buy one, get one free’ offer that saw residents of several UP districts abandoning their office desks and shop counters in favour of forming patient, if unruly, lines outside alcohol stores.
By Tuesday afternoon, police personnel had been posted outside several shops to keep order, while customers continued jostling, negotiating, and in many cases triumphantly exiting with crates in hand.
Anil Kumar, excise inspector posted in Muzaffarnagar, confirmed that after March 31, shops cannot legally sell leftover stock unless they secure a licence for the new financial year.
“In previous years, the licences were renewed automatically. This time, the UP govt ran an online lottery to allocate wine, desi and bhang shops. So far, 15,609 desi liquor shops, 9,341 composite shops for English liquor and beer, 1,317 bhang shops, and 430 model shops have been approved,” he said.
In Muzaffarnagar, most shops bore makeshift boards advertising the scheme, prompting a surge that would’ve embarrassed any Black Friday sale. Shoppers appeared to be acting less out of thirst and more out of calculation: once the current licences expire on March 31, unsold stock becomes unsellable, and with a new lottery system replacing automatic renewals, vendors had every reason to loosen their grip on the shelves.
Among those navigating the crowd was Hari Shankar, who laid out the logic with the air of a man explaining a fine vintage. “Earlier, shop licences used to get renewed automatically. This year, they went for a lottery, which is why shops are throwing this offer around. You can see how people are queuing up. Even milk vendors can’t sell anything, but liquor is flying off the shelves. All brands are available, but still people complain they can’t get their favourite.”
His voice, though calm, carried the quiet triumph of a man who had indeed managed to get his.
Rahul Kumar, who had also joined the early morning procession, added that although the offer was initially set to expire on the 25th, vendors had requested a five-day extension.
“Now they’re selling at lower rates too. Since morning, the shops have been packed. They open at 11:00am, but people are standing outside from hours before. Even those who usually buy desi liquor are opting for Scotch today,” he said.
In Noida’s Sector 137, Ravinder Kumar said he’d seen people taking leave from their jobs or shuttering their businesses early to visit the liquor shops.
“Everyone thinks they won’t get liquor this cheap for another year. Once the new licences kick in, prices will go up again. I bought a few bottles myself,” he said, without a trace of regret.
One vendor, who preferred not to be named said liquor sales had increased by at least five times compared to a typical day, in some shops as much as ten. “We’re open till 10pm. We’ll know the final numbers tomorrow,” he added, hinting at the quiet chaos of an ongoing ledger war in the background.
Police remained on standby throughout, not because of any reported violence, but more as a precaution. Superintendent of police, Satnarayan Prjapat, said, “There have been no incidents, but we’ve deployed officers near the shops to monitor the situation.”
