Row erupts over liquor rates in Sutlej Club

Ludhiana: A row has erupted over the rates of liquor in the city’s prestigious Sutlej Club with former office-bearers and several members of the club terming the prices as highest as compared to other clubs. Agitated over the issue, several club members are going to move a complaint with club president-cum-Ludhiana deputy commissioner Surabhi Malik on Tuesday.
Rakesh Kapoor, former bar secretary of Sutlej Club, said, “For the first time ever, the rates of liquor being charged in Sutlej Club have crossed liquor prices in Lodhi Club, which earlier used to be other way round. The rates of some type of liquor brands are almost double in Sutlej Club in comparison with the rates of same brands in Lodhi Club. Our repeated requests to the bar secretary to revise the rates and give members benefits of the schemes being received from liquor companies haven’t yielded any result.”
Kapoor said, “This is not all, against earlier trend of offering schemes like buy 2 get 1 free or likewise, nothing of this sort is being offered to the members irrespective of the fact that liquor companies and distributors offer discounts on bulk purchase of their brands. More than a dozen members of the club, including former office-bearers, have decided to take up this matter with president of the club on Tuesday.”
Dr Ajit Chawla, general secretary of Sutlej Club, said, “There is slight difference of only 5-7% in the rates of the liquor between Sutlej and Lodhi Club. Since expenditure of our club’s bar is high due to large number of staff as compared to Lodhi Club, rates are bound to be higher. Moreover, we are giving best possible schemes and discounts to our members by charging only meagre profits. Further, the rates of some of the brands of liquor being sold in the club are much cheaper today than earlier during tenure of some of the members who are questioning us today. Decent footfall and good increase in our bar sales proves that members are liking our schemes.”