Thousands queue up at off-shops after 4-day ban, Sat supply a worry

Kolkata: The intense heat notwithstanding, thousands of people across the city queued up outside liquor outlets right from Friday morning as off-shops reopened after a four-day shutdown.By 8.30 am, 40-50 people could be seen standing outside multiple stores, waiting for their two-bottle-per-purchase quota, ordered by the excise department. While areas with several outlets saw relatively shorter queues, the turnout remained steady through the day, underscoring pent-up demand following the sudden suspension of sales.The mood was a mix of impatience and relief. For many, the wait under the scorching sun was a test of endurance. Yet, as they emerged from shops, clutching their purchases, satisfaction was written on their faces. By evening, off-shop owners had run out of stock, unsure about how to cater to the demand on Saturday. At Ruttonjee Dadabhoy and Sons FL Off Shop on Ganesh Chandra Avenue near Chandni Metro station, the queue snaked along the pavement. Nilratan Patra, a tea-seller from nearby Malanga Lane, joined in at 8.20 am, leaving his shop in the care of an employee. "Morning is a busy time for me but I had no choice," said Patra, as he came out of the shop around 11.20 am with his purchases. "Liquor shops were suddenly shut for four days without any alert."The shutdown without a warning seemed the grievance among most customers. "If they wanted to impose a prohibition, they should have given us time to stock up. This sudden ban is sheer harassment," said Raju Sharma, who along with friends, arrived outside an off-shop in Girish Park around 8 am. Despite the exasperation, there was little disorder. Civic cops were stationed outside some outlets to manage crowds but customers themselves maintained order. "If there is any chaos, they may shut the shop. It's better to wait for our turn," said Sudipto Ghosh outside Empire Restaurant & Bar FL Off Shop Counter on Lenin Sarani.The two-bottle-per-purchase limit was maintained strictly, which, too, disappointed many as they had hoped to stock up for the next round of prohibition days, which would start from Saturday 6 pm. Regular operations will resume only on April 30 after the second phase of the election on April 29. Off-shops had received verbal instructions from the excise authorities not to sell more than two bottles per person. But customers visited multiple shops to dodge the norm. "I visited three shops and picked up six bottles," said Jitendra Sau, a resident of Collin Street. By afternoon, fatigue began to show. As the sun bore down, people stepped out of queues briefly to find shade and water. In Kasba, Soumik Mukherjee, a medical representative, waited for two hours before he could make a purchase. "Once I am done, my colleagues will go in a rotational way, " he said. Shop owners struggled to keep up with the demand. A shop owner in Kasba said they had to replenish supplies from their godown multiple times. "We had expected a rush but not this much," he said. By evening, customers at many places were not left with too many choices. "I wanted to buy premium beer but could get only the strong variety," said Rinky Das, who visited a shop in the evening.
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