Kolkata: West Bengal is set to experience an unprecedented consecutive spell of dry days lasting nine and a half days over the next two weeks, beginning Monday, due to the upcoming elections. This decision, issued by local district authorities, has surprised both the hospitality sector and consumers who enjoy alcoholic beverages.
Election Commission (EC) officials stated that the regulation aims to enforce a dry period of 48 hours prior to polling. However, senior officials from the excise department and district administrations clarified that they were acting on “verbal orders from those overseeing the election in Bengal.”
Sources indicate that election authorities observed an “unusual spurt” in alcohol sales, raising concerns about potential voter inducement, which prompted them to notify the excise department.
The state is home to approximately 5,000 bars and liquor stores, which collectively see daily sales amounting to Rs 80-90 crore. The expected financial impact on the liquor and hospitality industries statewide has been estimated at over Rs 1,400 crore, with around Rs 900 crore of that loss projected to occur in Kolkata alone.
