Liquor

Odisha govt's new excise policy to allow beach shacks to serve liquor

In the face of criticism from some quarters, Odisha government has allowed opening of beach shacks which can serve food and liquor in the state to promote tourism. This is part of the Odisha government's new Excise Policy for the year 2023-24 which will be implemented from April 1, 2023. The policy also increase excise duty for Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) marginally besides increasing a few other costs for bars, which may increase retail alcohol costs. The new policy provides of opening of beach shacks in the state to promote tourism. However, the license for these shacks will only be granted to the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) and not to any private operator. The shacks can be opened near different water bodies such as rivers, lakes, and dams, apart from sea beaches, the new policy said adding that the beach shack license will be considered a special category of restaurant ON' license, and the OTDC will have to decide on selecting operators for beach shacks

Withdrawing new liquor policy set to hit Delhi revenues by 45% in FY23

State govt could still raise revenue surplus for the year after reverting to old way of conducting liquor trade

Drugs, liquor worth over Rs 6,400 cr seized in Gujarat in two years

Narcotic substances and liquor worth Rs 6,413 crore were seized in different parts of Gujarat in the last two years, the state government informed the legislative Assembly on Friday. Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi shared the data while responding to a set of questions by Congress MLAs during the Question Hour of the Assembly. As per the state government's data, the police seized liquor, both country made and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), worth Rs 212 crore in two years till December 2022. The seized liquor included IMFL bottles worth Rs 197.56 crore, country-made liquor worth Rs 3.99 crore and beer bottles worth Rs 10.51 crore, the data revealed. The authorities also seized drugs, such as heroin, charas, opium, cannabis and methamphetamine, worth Rs 6,201 crore from different parts of the state in the same period, Sanghavi said. While majority of criminals associated with this illegal trade had been already caught, nearly 3,700 accused are still at large, he ...

Manish Sisodia to be produced in court today: All you need to know

Sisodia was arrested in a case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi

ED gets five-day custody of liquor businessman in Delhi excise policy scam

The central probe agency has alleged that Amandeep Dhal played a major role in the formulation, conspiracy and kickbacks paid by the South Group

How Manish Sisodia's arrest poses a challenge to AAP's Delhi govt, Kejriwal

Sisodia has not only been the face of AAP's education policy in Delhi but also heads as many as 18 of the total 33 departments

Women's group gears up to restrict liquor supply during Nagaland polls

Nagaland is a dry state but with the February 27 Assembly election campaign gaining momentum, a women's organisation in Phek district has set up check-gates to restrict the flow of liquor offered as inducement to voters in the district during the poll process. Phek is occupied by Chakhesang and Pochury tribes having five assembly constituencies with four seats in Chakhesang area and also has some villages in Meluri constituency of the Pochury tribe. Concerned about the ill effects of liquor and also liquor offered as inducement during Assembly elections, the womenfolk of the Chakhesang Naga tribe under the Chakhesang Mothers' Association (CMA) have put up around 100 check-points in their area, Zhonel Tunyi, president of CMA, the apex body of womenfolk for Chakhesang community in Phek district told PTI here. "During elections the flow of liquor as inducement is very high while many people get into physical fights and clashes in support of candidates becoming enemies and even leading

Foreign liquor, beer prices set to rise in Uttar Pradesh from April 1

The prices of foreign liquor and beer in Uttar Pradesh will increase by 10 per cent with the implementation of the new excise policy from April 1, an official statement said on Sunday. The new excise policy 2023-24 was cleared by Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Saturday. According to the statement, an increment of 10 per cent has been made on licence fees of foreign liquor, beer, cannabis retail shops and model shops. The government has also increased the fee for running the canteen facility at model shops to Rs 3 lakh from the present Rs 2 lakh in the new excise policy. With the new policy, the government has also increased the licence fee and security for bonded warehouse licenses (BWFL-2A, 2B, 2C) of foreign liquor, beer and wine. The registration and renewal fees of the master warehouse have been increased too. "The increase in licence fee and that of running canteen facility along with warehouse licences will eventually lead to rise in liquor prices," said Devesh Jaiswal of the UP .

Dubai ends 30% tax on alcohol sales, fee for liquor licenses in sheikhdom

Dubai ended its 30 per cent tax on alcohol sales in the sheikhdom on Sunday and made its required liquor licenses free to obtain, ending a long-standing source of revenue for its ruling family to apparently further boost its tourism to the emirate. The sudden New Year's Day announcement, made by Dubai's two state-linked alcohol retailers, came apparently from a government decree from its ruling Al Maktoum family. However, government officials did not immediately acknowledge the decision and did not respond to questions from The Associated Press. But it follows years of loosening regulations over liquor in the sheikhdom, which now sells alcohol during daylight hours in Ramadan and began providing home delivery during the lockdowns at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Alcohol sales have long served as a major barometer of the economy of Dubai, a top travel destination in the UAE, home to the long-haul carrier Emirates. During the recent World Cup in nearby Qatar, Dubai's many bar

Illegal liquor: Consumption may be up, but deaths show the opposite trend

India has a higher per capita consumption of illegal liquor than most countries in the neighbourhood

Taxes account for 67-80% of liquor prices; threatens sector's future: ISWAI

High rates of taxation are crippling the alcoholic beverages (alcobev) sector and threatening the future of the liquor industry in the country, the International Spirits & Wines Association of India (ISWAI) said. ISWAI, the apex body of the premium alcobev industry in the country, said that taxes account for 67 to 80 per cent of the product prices, leaving little for the trade to sustain and manage operations. The Indian alcobev industry is in deep crisis due to inflation on one hand and high taxation rates. In this context, it is needed to decrease taxes and raise product prices for the sector to sustain," ISWAI CEO Nita Kapoor said. Unlike other industries, the liquor industry does not have the freedom to price the products, Kapoor said. "The liquor trade contributes 25 per cent to 40 per cent of the state governments' revenues. Despite this, the government chose to tax it at high rates. The rates should be rationalised," Kapoor said. According to ISWAI, the Indian alcobev ...

Fumes of failure

Prohibition is damaging Bihar in multiple ways

Drugs, illicit liquor spreading roots across national capital: Survey

Easily available at various hotspots, which include JJ clusters and parks, at prices ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 5,000, anyone can get ganja in the quantities that they require

Toll in Chhapra hooch tragedy soars to 39, minister vows strict action

Bihar minister Sunil Kumar "vowed' that govt would take "strict action" against culprits responsible for deaths

5 dead after consuming spurious liquor in Bihar's Chhapra, say police

At least three people in Chhapra area of Bihar's Saran district have died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor amid reports that the toll is expected to climb, said police on Wednesday.Though the police in Ishauvpur have not confirmed the cause of "suspicious" deaths yet, they apprehended that the toll may rise which various sources put at five, six and 10."Three died, bodies sent for postmortem, these look like suspicious deaths. I have also received information that some more are receiving treatment at different places," SP S Kumar said.Madhepur DSP reached the spot and started the investigation. The police are searching for more sick people who might be in hiding to avoid interrogation as the sale and consumption of alcohol is completely banned in Bihar since April 2016.Among the deceased are Amit Ranjan, who died during treatment at Chhapra Sadar Hospital. The district police force have reached the hospital and taken Ranjan's body into custody. The police said that the cause .

Gujarat Assembly polls: FIR against BJP candidate for 'liquor' remark

In an embarrassment for BJP in Gujarat ahead of the Assembly elections, a candidate allegedly said liquor can be sold openly, leading to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against him for indulging in "corrupt practices". Gujarat has a sumptuary law in force that proscribes the manufacture, storage, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. The FIR was lodged against Latubhai Parghi, the BJP's nominee from the Danta seat in Banaskantha district, by a poll official after a video of a public meeting addressed by him on November 26 went viral, police said on Wednesday. Parghi purportedly told a group of women they will be allowed to sell liquor openly in a basket and need not hide it. "Liquor will be made available without the need for secrecy," he said, as per the FIR. The complaint was lodged against Parghi by Returning Officer Harshaben Raval at Danta police station on Tuesday. The complainant provided the police with the CD containing the video of the speech m

Delhi liquor scam: Manish Sisodia not named in chargesheet by CBI

Sisodia also demanded action against the Chief Secretary and the resignation of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena

Liquor bottles worth over Rs 100 cr sold in Delhi on weekend before Diwali

More than 48 lakh bottles of liquor worth over Rs 100 crore were sold in Delhi on the weekend preceding Diwali, officials said on Sunday. People celebrated Diwali with pomp on Monday after two years of muted festivities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Diwali, October 24 (Monday), was a dry day in the national capital. "That led to a rush on the weekend from Friday to Sunday with heavy liquor sales across the city," said a senior excise department officer. "More than 48 lakh bottles were sold on Friday-Sunday, worth over Rs 100 crore, ahead of Diwali on October 24," he said. The average daily sale of liquor in Delhi is around 12.50 lakh bottles, the officer said. Giving details, officials said 13.56 lakh bottles worth over Rs 30 lakh were sold on Friday and 15.09 lakh bottles worth nearly Rs 32 lakh on Saturday. On Diwali eve on October 23, a record sale of more than 19.42 lakh bottles worth over Rs 42 lakh was recorded, they said. The excise business in Delhi has been hit hard wi

Liquor rates to rise as govt hikes excise duty by 15% in Arunachal Pradesh

Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) in Arunachal Pradesh is set to become costlier, as the state cabinet has decided to increase the existing rates of excise duty by 15 per cent on all types of hard liquor (IMFL and bottled in original products) to be paid before the import or removal from the manufacturer. The rates of excise duty in respect of military or paramilitary units shall be 50 per cent of the rates of excise duty fixed to be paid before the import or removal from the manufacturer, the cabinet headed by Chief Minister Pema Khandu decided on Wednesday, a communique from the CMO said. Among a slew of decisions, the cabinet also reviewed the ongoing exercise of resolving the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary and decided to amicably resolve the matter at the earliest. The cabinet approved the proposal of taking over of the DBT-APSCS&T Centre of Excellence for Bioresources and Sustainable Development (DBT-APSCS&T Centre of Excellence for BRSD) established under the aegis of .

Delhi liquor policy: ED conducts fresh raids at 40 locations across India

The ED on Friday launched fresh raids at about 40 locations across the country, including at the Delhi residence of a YSRCP MP, as part of a money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the now scrapped Delhi Excise Policy, official sources said. The searches are being conducted at premises linked to liquor businessmen, distributors and supply chain networks in Nellore and some other cities in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi-NCR, they said. The premises linked to YSRCP Lok Sabha MP from Ongole M Sreenivasulu Reddy in Delhi are also being searched, they said. Reddy has links with liquor distributorship business. He could not be contacted by PTI despite repeated attempts. The action started early morning with agency teams being escorted by police and paramilitary personnel at the locations being searched by them. This is the second round of raids by the federal agency in this case after it first conducted searches on September 6 at about