Bengaluru: The state excise department has tweaked its rules for giving out liquor shop licenses. As per the latest rules, every liquor shop in the state will have to install CCTV cameras.
Speaking to media, Excise Commissioner Munish Mudgil said that the licenses for the shops would be renewed only if CCTV cameras have been installed. The shop owners have to store the camera footage and produce it whenever authorities request it, he added.
This decision has been taken to stop the establishments from overcharging customers beyond the maximum retail price. The CCTV footage can be accessed by the officials and action taken against the sellers in case of any complaints. “This is expected to prevent liquor shops from taking the customers for a ride”, Mudgil added.
Customers routinely complain about liquor shops running beyond permitted work-hours and overpricing. The shops also produced fake bills to dupe the customers. In the absence of evidence, the department could not take any action against the errant owners. The department hopes to curb these illegal practices by employing CCTV.
It is mandatory for both retail outlets (CL2) and bars and restaurants (CL9) to install security cameras if they want to renew their licenses. More than 10,000 liquor shops in Karnataka have to renew their licenses by the end of June.
In an effort to prevent tampering and “seconds” sale for evading excise duty, the excise department also plans to replace the hologram-embedded excise adhesive labels (EAL) with QR code. Every liquor bottle will have a unique QR code assigned during production and packaging at the distilleries. Customers can also easily verify the genuineness of the liquor being sold. “This will also save Rs 300 crore being spent on EAL every year”, Mudgil said.
