Kolkata, Jul 15 (PTI) Fifty per cent of tipplers in West Bengal have started preferring liquor of cheaper brands due to a steep rise in prices after the state government imposed 30 per cent sales tax on alcoholic beverages in April, according to a survey.

The survey, conducted by a social media-based platform - LocalCircles, showed that 50 per cent of 8,600 respondents across the state have switched over to the cheaper brands of liquor owing to price rise.

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According to it, the respondents said that their preferred brands have become more expensive after the imposition of sales tax, and they have either reduced consumption or switched over to cheaper substitutes.

Nearly 36 per cent of the respondents said that they are ready to step up their purchase if the sales tax is withdrawn, while 51 per cent prefer to buy liquor from e- commerce platforms.

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The Delhi and Odisha governments had imposed additional levies on alcohol during the lockdown period, but subsequently rolled it back due to a drastic reduction in sales, officials of the survey firm said. PTI dc

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)