New excise policy in Uttar Pradesh to lift spirits of consumers; Akhilesh slams government

PTI

IANS

Lucknow, December 20

The new Excise Policy for 2024-25 in Uttar Pradesh now allows people to consume the brew, if they have 100 square feet space next to their vends.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav attacked the BJP government for allowing the sale of liquor at railway and metro stations, saying there is a “deep relation” between alcohol consumption and crime.

At a meeting of the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Tuesday, the Excise Policy for 2024-25 allowing sale of liquor at airports, metro and railway stations, and cruise ships was cleared.

The government is looking to mop up record excise revenue in excess of Rs 58,000 crore.

While the policy would be effective from April 2024, one of the decisions cleared by the Cabinet would be effective this year itself.

Liquor shop sale timings would also be extended by an hour, till 11 p.m. on Christmas eve (December 24) as well as New Year’s Eve (December 31) to allow guzzlers to have their fill on these festive occasions when sales peak.

The liquor lobby was, however, pushing for extending the current 10 am to 10 pm sale time till 11 pm, but the state’s Excise Minister Nitin Agarwal made it clear that “sale time extension” would only be for defined occasions.

“Beer vends would be given permits, enabling their owners to allow consumers’ permission to consume it if they have 100 square feet space adjacent their vends. The police will not harass such people, provided they behave decently in public,” Agarwal said.

A new category—Uttar Pradesh Made Liquor (UPML) – of 36 per cent alcohol-by-volume intensity would be introduced in the grain-based segment, the Minister said, explaining the move is aimed at promoting the grain-based industry segment in the sector.

“Two years back, we had introduced a grain-based country made liquor with 42 per cent intensity, and now we are introducing another variety that would co-exist with a similar molasses-based product in the 36 per cent alcohol-by-volume segment, but one that would be aimed at promoting grain-based industry,” Agarwal added.

The minimum guarantee quota (MGQ) of the country made segment, which contributes to nearly 45 per cent of the total excise revenue volumes, has been increased by 10 per cent over the consumption figures of the previous fiscal.

In simpler terms, MGQ is the amount of stock a country liquor seller is required to compulsorily buy from the government.

However, in beer, the policy of monthly MGQ, has been done away with in keeping with the demand by the beer lobby.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said if the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) believes that alcohol consumption is “so good”, it should start selling liquor from its offices.

In a post in Hindi on X, Yadav said, “Is this the only way left for the Uttar Pradesh BJP government to create a USD 1 trillion economy, by selling liquor at railway and metro stations, and cruise ships.” With inputs

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