Sikkim CM Announces Under-21 Cigeratte & liquor ban in state

GANGTOK: If you are below 21 you will not be allowed to buy and drink liquor or buy and smoke cigarette anywhere in the state. Fresh restrictions are to be imposed on liquor and cigarette consumption across Sikkim as per the announcement of Sikkim CM Dr. Pawan Chamling on SDF Day in Gangtok.

The legal drinking age for beer, rum, gin, whisky, vodka and country made liquor has been fixed at 21years.No smoking would be allowed for youths below 21. No shop would be allowed to sell these products to buyers if they are below 21 across Sikkim.

This decision would be made into law during state Assembly session as announced by Chief minister Chamling who said that the "future of youths of Sikkim cannot be allowed to be destroyed by alcohol or cigarette consumption".

The legal drinking age for the consumption of liquor would be similarly  fixed at 21 years. The provisions are a part of the government's new de-addiction policy, which would cleared by the cabinet of ministers and Assembly of Sikkim into a law soon.

Kingfisher beer Launched at MayFair Resort of Gangtok

Gangtok,Nov 22 :Celebrating the launch of India's most premium beer range KingFisher at the exclusive launch party in MayFair Resort of Gangtok in Sunday evening which saw the presence of D.D Bhutia,Vice President-SDF Party,Hissay Lachungapa, R.B.Subba advisors to Sikkim CM, Officers and staff of Excise Abk.Dept,and liquor vendors from in and around Gangtok.

The launch party enthrall the crowds with nepali and hindi songs from Darjeeling Music Group and dancing ladies from Kolkatta in  red and white kingfisher colours.

Kingfisher traces its history back to 1915 when United Breweries was created out of 5 small breweries in South India. The beer was first distributed to customers in Bangalore, Chennai and in the Nilgiris. In 1980, Kingfisher was the first to launch canned beer and draught beer.KingFisher range of beer is now available across Sikkim in FLR shops and bars.

Sikkim,Darjeeling Tourists can carry liquor: Morcha

Darjeeling, Nov 12: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today said tourists would be allowed to carry liquor to the hills, but warned that the same relief would not be extended to local people.

Cars with liquor in them will be seized and the vehicles will be used by Gorkhaland Personnel for six months — a “punishment” for hill residents who would dare to flout the Morcha “ban” on the sale of alcohol.

“The GLP will conduct strict checks on all vehicles from tomorrow. If cars are found carrying liquor bottles, they will be seized and used for a six month period by the GLP as a penalty,” said Harka Bahadur Chhetri, the spokesperson for the party after a central committee meeting in Patlabas.

Although few hill residents would speak out in public, many agreed in private that the Morcha should differentiate between carrying a bottle for personal consumption and bringing cartons for business. “No one likes to be checked by the GLP who have no legal standing,” said a resident of the town.

Earlier, too, the GLP, a voluntary squad of the Morcha, had posted itself along the highway, confiscating, what they claimed was “smuggled” liquor from Sikkim, but of late the activity had been scaled down. The government had declared the GLP act of checking cars and seizing liquor bottles illegal. This time, too, the district administration said it would take strong action against GLP policing.

“Movement of liquor, bought from an authorised place, is not illegal. But checking vehicles, seizing them and confiscating alcohol is illegal. We will take strong action against such illegal activities,” said Darjeeling district magistrate Surendra Gupta.

Asked whether drinking alcohol was banned, Chhetri said: “No, drinking has not been banned but we are trying to stop the inflow of revenue to the state exchequer through the sale of IMFL.”

However, the identity of tourists carrying alcohol will be verified by the GLP. This only means more harassment for visitors, who may have to answer a volley of questions.

The Morcha has also asked the people to stop participating in “friendship” football matches that the police are currently organising in various villages to improve police-public relations. “We request teams to withdraw from the tournament,” said Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Morcha. Although Giri did not say why the soccer meets should be boycotted, it is suspected that the party does not want the men in khaki to interact closely with the people.

The Morcha has also decided to put its stamp of approval on the process of regularising the jobs of 3,000-odd contractual workers of the DGHC. “Recommendation for the regularisation must come from the local unit of the Morcha,” said Giri, hinting that it was the party’s way of “rewarding” loyal workers

Hic! hurrah for local brew in Darjeeling

Restaurant owners hatch Plan B to counter Morcha ban on liquor shops

Darjeeling, Nov. 8: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha deciding to close down all licensed liquor shops from tomorrow, many restaurants and hotels are planning to fall back on traditional tipple to cater for the needs of tourists.

The Morcha move is supposed to “pressure the state exchequer” by stopping the flow of revenue that the party claims is being generated through the sale of liquor in the hills.

Morcha president Bimal Gurung had earlier said the state government had collected excise duty of around Rs 50 crore from the sale of liquor in the hills during the just-ended month long festival period.

Sources in the liquor business, however, said all taxes were directly collected at the source (manufacturing unit) and liquor shops do not have to shell out a single rupee to the government at the time of sale of any bottle.

“Only for the renewal of bar licences, they have to pay around Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per month. The rest of the tax is paid by the manufacturers before the liquor leaves the factories,” said a source. The source also said if all “off” shops in the three hill sub-divisions stopped selling liquor and the manufacturers scaled down the production proportionately and distributors brought in less quantity, then the loss to the state exchequer would be around Rs 3 crore per month.

Most bars have already worked out a plan to counter the ban. “We have started ordering local liquor made from rhododendrons, oranges, ginger and chingping, a type of seed. A bottle (750ml) of local liquor costs us around Rs 80 but they are also available at Rs 20 depending on the quality,” said the owner of a leading restaurant.

Locally brewed liquor does not fall in the Morcha ban ambit, as no excise duty has to be paid to the state government. But it is illegal to serve them in restaurants. In the hills, where there hardly appears to be any writ of law — no electricity bills and taxes have been paid for a year and at one point the Morcha forced vehicles to use “GL” numberplates — many believe that they can sell locally brewed liquor without any administrative hassles.


Thongba, a locally brewed liquor, is served in wooden kegs. Picture by Suman Tamang
In that case, tourists have no option, but to drink rakshi, made from chingping and rhododendron — the brew is a hit among trekkers in the Sandakphu-Phalut region — or thongba. The thongba is made from wet millet seeds put into a foot-tall wooden keg, which has a six-inch diameter. Hot water is poured into the millet and it starts fermenting instantly. The liquor is sipped through bamboo straw dipped into the keg. That is as far as the exotic nature of the liquor goes.

“But the worry is that with the demand, the prices might go up and we may not get the required stock of good quality,” said the restaurant owner.

With IMFL liquor off the menu, many hotel owners believe that their sales will take a major dip. “We have realised that when we have local or foreigners as clients, liquor makes up almost 50 per cent of the food bill. If there are middle-class tourists, the liquor makes 15 per cent of the food bill,” said a hotel owner. Sources in the excise department said there were 24 outlets selling country liquor across the hills and the number of “off” IMFL shops stood at 19. The number of licensed bars is 19 too.

Since early morning, many of the “off” shops had a steady flow of customers many of whom were trying to stock up. “At times people need liquor to organise successful parties in the hills,” quipped a buyer.

Dharmendra Poddar, acting secretary, Darjeeling Bar and Offshoot Owner’s Association, said: “Since there is a call to close down the shops we will do it from tomorrow. The issue of Gorkhaland after all is a very sentimental one.”

Poddar admitted that association members had tried to contact Gurung. “We could not meet him after which we decided to close the shops. Till now, we have not thought of any alternative business to sustain ourselves,” he added.

Dry run: No liquor in Darjeeling from Nov 7

DARJEELING: There will be no liquor in Darjeeling from November 7 — not a sip for tourists, not a sip for locals. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM)
issued this diktat, apparently to deprive state government of the revenue it earns from liquor sale in the Hills.

Bars, restaurants and liquor shop owners in Darjeeling have little choice but to toe GJM’s line, even if it means giving up their sole means of livelihood. This means no more Kangchenjunga sunsets, nursing a glass of whiskey. Locals have it worse - a bitter winter without spirits. And what’s the Darjeeling administration - that has virtually allowed Bimal Gurung and GJM a free run - doing about it?
Apparently nothing. ‘‘We are not worried about the GJM diktat,’’ said an excise department official.

‘‘We are more concerned about the health of the Darjeeling people because they will turn to illicit liquor.’’

Gurung’s claim that he wants to stop the flow of liquor revenue to the state coffers has no logic, say excise officials. ‘‘It’s absurd to think that way. In fact, all taxes are paid in Siliguri before the liquor is brought to the Hills,’’ said an official.

Gurung insists the government made Rs 40 crore through sale of liquor during Puja alone. Last month, he announced closure of licensed liquor shops as part of the ‘non-cooperation movement’ against the state. Import of liquor from Sikkim (which is cheaper), too, was stopped. Gorkhaland Personnel have been deployed on NH-31A to check vehicles for liquor.

When another excise official was asked about the impact of the closure, he said: ‘‘Revenue-wise it will not make much of a difference as Siliguri is a much bigger source. In Darjeeling, import will be hit and also supply to army.’’

The real losers will be those who depend on the liquor business to run their family. In the three Hills subdivisions, there are 53 licensed bar and restaurants, 19 licensed shops and 24 country spirit outlets. Licensed shop owners refused to talk on the issue, saying they would have to obey the GJM diktat, no matter what.

‘‘We will suffer heavy losses but we can’t do anything about it,’’ said an off-shop retailer. In the past four weeks, liquor shops are incurring a loss of Rs 30-35,000 each day.

The Darjeeling Bar and Restaurant Owner’s Association also refused to talk. ‘‘We tried to meet Bimal Gurung to request him not to close the liquor shops, but could not. We have no choice but to shut shop,’’ said association secretary Dharmendra Poddar.

For many in Darjeeling, it’s now a question of survival. Some bar owners are thinking of converting into restaurants, but with tourist inflow drying to a trickle after GJM started its agitation, restaurant and bar owners are already scraping the bottom of the barrel. ‘‘What about our staff? They have families to feed?’’ said a bar owner. Some are holding on to the hope that Gurung will lift the ban after a few months

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha waves liquor ban threat in Darjeeling

Darjeeling, Oct. 26: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today announced a ban on liquor shops in the hills from November 7.

The shutdown is apparently not because the hill outfit wants supporters to abstain but because it doesn’t want the state to earn revenue from their drink.

“During the festival season, the Bengal government collected Rs 40-50 crore as excise duty from liquor sales in the hills. All liquor shops will be shut down from November 7,” Morcha president Bimal Gurung told a rally in Darjeeling town while announcing a series of agitation programmes to press his statehood demand.

Hotel and restaurant owners reacted with shock, but refused to be quoted out of fear. “About 70 per cent of the din- ers consume alcohol and we buy our supplies from the off-shops. We will lose a lot of revenue,” said a restaurant owner who refused to named.

“On every bill, at least 50 per cent is spent on liquor,” said the manager of another restaurant.

Bringing liquor from the plains will not be a cost-effective proposition, they added.

Sales from the off-shops had picked up since Morcha volunteers started a crackdown on liquor smuggled in from Sikkim a few months ago.

Representatives of the Centre and the state are going to meet Morcha leaders in Darjeeling on December 21 for the fourth round of talks on their demands.

Observers said the outfit had also stepped up its agitation before the first round last year. It had then asked the hill people to refrain from paying their electricity bills.

“I will declare Gorkhaland and impose home rule (if the December talks are inconclusive),” Gurung said today. “Gorkhaland Personnel (the outfit’s volunteer force) will collect tea, motor vehicle, boulder and other taxes.”

The Morcha has also decided to restart using “Gorkhaland” on signboards. However, unlike in the past, it will refrain from replacing “West Bengal” on government boards.

At Chowrastha, Gurung admitted rampant corruption in his outfit and promised measures to stem the rot. “During the two-year agitation, many leaders have bought expensive cars, built houses, sat with engineers in hotel rooms and amassed wealth. The party secretary will start sending notices to them from tomorrow,” he told the gathering.

Never before had the Morcha chief made a public admission of corruption in his ranks. He said the tainted leaders were in all wings of the party.

Former footballer Shyam Thapa was among Darjeeling sportspersons presented with a tola (little less than 10gm) of gold, a citation and a khukuri at the Chowrastha event.

High numbers of liquor shops plague Sichey ,Gangtok

GANGTOK, October 5: Bothered by the increasing number of liquor shops in the locality, the residents of BR Ambedkar Road, Sichey, a few kilometres away from here have written to the Chief Secretary of Sikkim requesting him for immediate closure of the shops.
According to the source information, there are eight liquor shops and several bars running within a stretch of less than one kilometre in Sichey.
Speaking to media, the residents said, the increase in the number of liquor shops have resulted in the rise of many anti social activities in the area. The letter to the Chief Secretary also mentions that the youth of the area have given into the habit of drinking alcohol and in anti social activities. “Such negative trend has been causing serious threat to the life of the local people,” the letter pointed out.
Prior to this petition, the residents had submitted two letters to the State Excise Minister and the department Secretary but with no concrete steps yet.
However, the complainants said that three more shops have been opened even after complaining to the department. Residents further said that if their request goes unheard, they will be approaching the Chief Minister directly.
Besides, the liquor shop near Thumi Sambhota Tibetan School has been another reason for the residents to worry about. “The liquor shop at the entrance of the school does not send good message to the students,” one of the complainants told media requesting anonymity.
According to him the Principal of the said school had written a letter to the government to shift the shop to somewhere else. The lack of Police booth in the area has also been a long pending demand, he added.

Morcha displays ‘seized’ Sikkim liquor

Darjeeling, Aug. 6: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today put on display all the “illicit liquor” it had seized on Tuesday in an effort to build a positive public opinion on the work that the Gorkhaland Personnel has been doing “to bring about social reforms” in the hills.

Amar Lama, a central committee member of the Morcha, said the seized liquor would be handed over to the excise department.

The Morcha leadership dared K.L. Tamta, the north Bengal inspector-general of police, to arrest GLP members “who are working for the betterment of society”.

Reacting to Tamta’s announcement recently that police would act tough on GLP members stopping cars and conducting searches, Binay Tamang, the assistant secretary of the Morcha, said: “When we are doing something good for our society, Tamta is talking about action. Even if a single GLP member is arrested, there could be unrest in the hills and the state government along with Tamta will be responsible for it.”

The Morcha also said the GLP, its cell of uniformed volunteers who are paid Rs 1,500 a month, had every right to “assist the government” for the general good. “There is a clear provision in the CrPc which allows citizens to arrest people for the betterment of society. The fact that we could manage to seize so much illicit liquor on a single day suggests that the police and excise department are not doing their job. What are we to understand if Tamta is against us seizing such liquor. Does he want the trade to flourish?” asked Amar Lama.

The inspector-general admitted that the citizens had the right to put a stop to illegal activities. “But there should be a token police presence and the people have to requisition help from us. Nothing can be done unilaterally,” he said. Tamta had said GLP members found checking vehicles would be booked for wrongful confinement, obstruction of roads and even extortion. “Even the army and the paramilitary forces are not entitled to search randomly, then how can the GLP have the right,” he had said.

Deputy commissioner of excise (preventive) P.T. Bhutia said he did not know whether the law permitted citizens to seize liquor. “I will have to look up the rules, but carrying liquor for commercial purposes without proper papers and without paying the state concerned the revenue is illegal.”

Darjeeling district magistrate Surendra Gupta, however, said the GLP cannot seize liquor without authorisation. “And the excise department cannot accept the so-called seized liquor as doing that would mean that the government is putting an official stamp on the seizure,” Gupta said.

The Morcha maintained that it was “pained” at hearing adverse criticism from Sikkim on its activities. “The lobby of smugglers is strong everywhere. They are trying to start a misinformation campaign through the Sikkim media,” said Tamang.

Colonel (retired) Ramesh Allay, the chief of the GLP, said the display was the outcome of one day’s manning of the Sikkim border.