With officials choosing to look the other way, overcharging for liquor is fast becoming a common practice in Indore. Tipplers say that few raids are conducted by flying squads in the division. During the recently concluded Diwali festivities, black-marketing of alcohol was reported from several districts in the Indore division. The practice remains unchecked, and most brands of liquor are being sold at one and a half to twice the applicable sales price. In Indore, the practice has been brought to a halt by a strict vigil maintained by Collector Ashish Singh, who has ordered the closure of liquor shops at stipulated times and controlled overcharging by dealers in the commercial capital. In Dhar district, due to the strict vigilance of Dhar Excise Controller Radheshyam Rai, overcharging at liquor shops has been curbed. According to sources, the maximum complaints of overcharging are reported from Khargone, Khandwa, Barwani, Alirajpur, and Jhabua districts of the Indore division. Due to the strict attitude of Burhanpur Collector Bhavya Mittal, liquor is being sold in Burhanpur district at the prescribed price, and overcharging has been curbed.The open flaunting of rules by liquor vendors suggests that the excise flying squad of the division, tasked with controlling liquor smuggling and malpractices in these eight districts, has failed to stop the overcharging. DC Mukesh Nema of the Indore divisional flying squad conducts few inspections of various districts, which results in liquor being sold at a price higher than the selling price throughout the year at several places. In Khargone district, illegal liquor is transported from the liquor factory by overloading trucks beyond the prescribed quantity. District Excise Officers from many districts in the Indore division often leave their districts and reside in Indore. Liquor sellers have this information and, taking advantage of it, liquor sellers in Khargone, Barwani, Alirajpur, Khandwa, and Jhabua districts overcharge customers and sell alcohol at double the price. In addition, illegal liquor-selling centres have been set up by liquor vendors in these districts, where illegal liquor is smuggled and delivered. According to sources, during the month from Dussehra to Diwali, liquor sellers have earned an additional income running into crores by selling liquor at prices above the printed price.

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