Spirits high as liquor prices fall

Phagwara (Punjab): As the prices of liqour come crashing down in the land the Patiala peg, devotees of the wine god queued up to hoard what they love the most.

The space that has been allocated for liquor stores is revised towards the end of each financial year and those who lose their shops for the next year clear stocks by selling at abysmally low rates.

For many, that calls for raising a toast! "We are very happy that liquor is priced low during these days. This is not less than a festival for us and we are enjoying ourselves thoroughly," says Rohit, a resident of Phagwara.

Quite naturally, the consumers are not really worried about vendors losing their licenses or the heavy loss they incur. "We are very happy and pray that the vends should be changed every week, so we can have a hell of a time throughout," says Ajay, a buyer.

So, liquor lovers in Phagwara choose to look at this as a fantastic discount, which really means booze unlimited for a few days.

(With Jyoti Kamal in Phagwada, Aniruddha Maitra)