KOCHI: ‘I am writing these lines with a broken heart. Mere tears cannot express my grief. You know, OCR 250 (235), OPR 240 (230) MC320 (305), Honey Bee 320 (305), Celebration 315 (300). Why the Government did such a cruelty to us?’This is an SMS that circulated the most in the last few days. The short forms used in these SMSes are the names of some popular brands of the Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) available in the market. The new price tags can be compared to the old one in the brackets. But the SMS cannot be deleted as a mere joke as it clearly shows the new generation’s familiarity with the brands and their rates. “Apart from the increase in the prices, the new liquor policy also gives a bitter doze to the tipplers as it restricts bar licenses to four-star hotels and above by 2012. This means boozing under the shady lights of a bar restaurant will turn out to be a luxury to many like me,” said V Sajan, a government employee. But will this prompt the majority of the tipplers to quit the habit is the big question. “I do not think so. At present, my friends and I usually get together over a couple of drinks once a week. It normally costs us Rs 500 per person, which is equivalent to the price of some of the top brands available in the market. We know the prices of food items are also high in restaurants with bars. Yet we prefer their ambience,” said N Varun, a marketing professional. Though, the 180-ml bottles (lowest quantity available through the Bevco outlets) are available in the market at a prices ranging between Rs 60 and Rs 120 per bottle, many prefer to drink from bars where they have to pay Rs 60 for a 60-ml drink (peg). “Though the decision to restrict the license to four-star hotels and above will help in limiting the number of bar hotels, I do not think it will help in restricting the number of persons visiting them,” said R Srinath, an IT Professional.(Names have been changed)
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