Bhopal
Under the new excise policy, for the first time in Madhya Pradesh, “low alcoholic beverages bar” will open from April 1, while liquor sale will be restricted at 19 places including 17 holy cities. An officer gave this information to a news agency.
According to the information, only beverages containing beer, wine and ready-to-drink alcohol will be allowed in these new times. Which will have a maximum of 10 percent V/V (volume on volume) alcohol. Consumption of spirit will be completely restricted in such a bar.
A new type of bar will be opened in Madhya Pradesh from April 1, where only low alcohol drinks will be available. These will be called ‘Lo alcoholic Beverages Bar’. Along with this, the sale of liquor will stop at 19 places under the new excise policy. In these 19 places, 17 cities are of religious significance. Only beer, wine and ‘ready-to-drink’ drinks will be available in the new bar, in which the amount of alcohol will be less than 10 percent. Alcohol will be completely banned in these times.
At present, there are 460 to 470 times in the entire Madhya Pradesh and an official of the Excise Department told the ‘PTI-language’ that the opening of these new times will increase its total number rapidly.
The government statement said that from April 1, a total of 47 shops of liquor will be closed due to the ban on sale of liquor at 19 places including 17 cities with religious importance.
There will be a ban on the sale of liquor in cities with some other religious importance including Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Mandleshwar, Orchha, Maihar, Chitrakoot, Datia, Amarkantak and Salkanpur.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced a ban on the sale of liquor after approving the new excise policy on 23 January. This initiative will cause a loss of about Rs 450 crore to the state government in excise revenue.
Officials said that liquor ban law is not applicable in Madhya Pradesh, so no penalty will be imposed for drinking liquor alone from other areas in the banned areas.
Where the shops are closed, there is a need to enact a law like Bihar Prohibition Act 2016 to ban liquor and ban drinking.
Officials said that apart from Bihar, the liquor ban law is also applicable in Gujarat, while only the Excise Act is applicable in Madhya Pradesh.
The government statement said that the renewal fee of liquor shops has been increased by 20 percent under the new excise policy for the next financial year.
From April 1, 19 places where liquor sales will be stopped include religious cities like Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Mandleshwar, Orchha, Maihar, Chitrakoot, Datia, Amarkantak and Salkanpur. This will close 47 liquor shops.
There is no prohibition in Madhya Pradesh, so people will be able to drink liquor from other areas in areas where liquor sales will stop. There will be no fine on this.
The prohibition law is applicable in Bihar and Gujarat, while only the Excise Act is applicable in Madhya Pradesh. Under the new excise policy, the renewal fee of liquor shops has been increased by 20 percent.