Expect steep hike in liquor prices

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 8

The rates of liquor in the city are likely to witness a steep hike as the Excise and Taxation Department of the UT Administration has started the process to frame the excise policy for the next financial year.

Sources said a hike of 15 to 20 per cent in the liquor prices was imminent after the Haryana Government increased the rates and with Punjab also all set to increase the rates in its policy, which will be announced soon. “We have no choice but to keep the rates almost on a par with the neighboring states to check smuggling of liquor from the city,” said an officer of the Administration.

Besides increasing the basic quota, the Haryana Government has also increased the excise duty on country-made liquor and Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL). The liquor prices were increased by up to 10 per cent last year. This year, however, the hike is likely to be much more.

For some brands, the increase could be 10 per cent, while for others, it could vary between 10 and 20 per cent. The sources said not much change was likely to be made in the prices of beer with an aim to encourage transition from high to low alcohol content beverages.

The department is also planning to increase the reserve price of liquor vends to be put up for auction by 10 to 15 per cent. The number of vends will also be increased this time after the Supreme Court allowed vends alongside roads within the MC limits.