Liquor is thicker than milk - Twin roles of Durgapur youth: Milkman by day, liquor delivery man by night

Subrata Seet on his two-wheeler with milk cans and liquor bottles. Picture by Arup Sarkar

Abhijeet Chatterjee, TT: What is thicker? Milk or liquor? Subrata Seet is milkman by day and liquor delivery man by night.

The increased demand for alcohol has led to a new entrepreneurship in Durgapur.

Liquor was always more lucrative than milk, but such a demand for it is new.

Subrata, 34, a school drop-out, earns Rs 50 per day as a milkman and Rs 400 to Rs 500 by selling liquor per night. He started off as a milkman two years ago after failing to get any other job.

Soon Subrata, the younger son of a farm labourer from Dhabani in Laodoha area, about 10km from Durgapur town, realised that selling pouches of 500ml milk in town will not be enough to feed his family.

"I get 50 paisa for delivering one pouch of 500ml milk, which is not enough for me to run my family. My mother is ailing back home. I came to Durgapur town three years ago and live in a rented place at the steel township with my wife and three-year-old son. I deliver 100 pouches of milk every day," who studied till class VII.

The evening delivery job happened by chance. One day a trade union leader at the steel township's B-zone area who helped Subrata to get the place to stay asked him to bring a liquor bottle from a wine shop at City Centre about 8km away.

It was a sign of the times. As Durgapur has evolved its lifestyle, increasing its shopping destinations, entertainment zones and plush residential areas, the consumption of liquor has also gone up in proportion. Liquor stores have increased.

"Earlier there were only two wine shops in Durgapur town which has now increased to almost four times in 10 years. Apart from off shops there is a number of on shops where we can consume liquor sitting at the shop," said Debasish Chowdhury, a Durgapur Steel Plant employee.

But the steel township has remained dry. The township, split in three zones, A, B and C, home to Durgapur Steel Plant employees, as well as outsiders who pay rent, does not have any liquor shop following a restriction from Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). There are about 25,000 families in the 40 sq km township area which houses markets, schools, auditoriums, play grounds, parks, gymnasium, swimming pools and restaurants, but no liquor shop. There is only one bar and restaurant in the township, but going to a bar is expensive. The nearest liquor shop from B-zone is at City Centre, almost 8km away; from A-zone the nearest liquor store is about 5km away. A liquor shop is farther away from the C-zone.

As Subrata returned with a bottle of liquor that day, the trade union leader offered him Rs 20 as tip.

"A bigger idea clicked in my mind. The trade union leader also told me that I could start ferrying liquor bottles from door to door. I knew it is illegal but I required money," said Subrata, stuffing bottles in two big jute bags.

He remains busy till midnight. His phone rings with calls from various parts of the township. They are from his regular customers.

"I sell around three to four litres of whisky and one litre each vodka and rum every day. I have 20 regular customers and it is increasing," he said.

"I mostly have common customers for both milk and liquor. I often smile when I think that I supply milk for his children in the morning and liquor for him in the evening," he said. He rides a second-hand motorbike now, which he bought last year.

He does not consume alcohol. "I do not like the smell," he said.