Raipur
Chhattisgarh Excise Department has announced new liquor rates for the financial year 2025-26. The department claims that the liquor prices will decrease by 4 percent from April 1, which will provide relief to the customers. This means that the price will be reduced by Rs 40 on a bottle of Rs 1000. According to the new decision, McDowell’s number one will not sell in Pauvwa Pradesh. However, this relief will be limited, as liquor prices in Chhattisgarh will still be higher than in neighboring state of Madhya Pradesh.
The new excise policy will be implemented from April 1 in the new session. It is noteworthy that the Excise Department has decided to open 67 new liquor shops in the new session. Proposals were sought from districts in this regard. Currently 674 liquor shops are operated in Chhattisgarh. These include premium shops.
According to the Excise Department, there has been a decrease of up to 20, 40, 150, 200 and 300 rupees in more selling bottles in the retail wine shop. The prices of liquor will also decrease in the bar. However, due to the restaurant service found there, there is little chance of a special difference in the price.
With the implementation of the new rates, the cheapest whiskey will start from Rs 480 in the state. Talking about some facts, people are drinking more than 8 thousand crore liquor in the state, in which 35.9 men and 2.8 percent women drink alcohol.
Which is the cheapest liquor in Chhattisgarh?
According to the Chhattisgarh Excise Department, if the new rate list is released, then after the prices of beer, whiskey, rum in the state, liquor will be available at cheap prices. However, the challenge of the drinkers will have to get the brand with the lowest rate.
Often, those products do not meet expensive products in shops.
Ninth Extra Beer Strong 650 Ml for 190 rupees
Icon premium whiskey 750 ml for Rs 480
Madeoff premium vodka 750 ml for Rs 640
Twenty Twenty Special Rum 750 Ml for Rs 480
Government logic behind reducing rate
The decision to make the liquor cheap was taken in the Cabinet meeting of the Chhattisgarh government on March 3, then the government had said that the “additional excise fee” on foreign liquor, which is equal to 9.5% at the rate of purchasing of Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation, has been terminated.
This will reduce the retail price of foreign liquor, especially medium range and high range liquor, which will prevent smuggling of liquor from other provinces. Due to reduction in this additional fee, retail selling rates of foreign liquor of different range will reduce about 40/- to 3000/- per bottle.
Prices reduced to stop black marketing
According to departmental sources, the liquor which was found in the state for Rs 280, was being illegally sold from MP and sold here for 200 rupees. Now the government has reduced the price of those bottles to Rs 280, which used to be available for 200 rupees. In such a situation, the business of liquor sellers by black marketing in the state is likely to be slow.
How much government earning from alcohol
According to the latest status till 2019-2024, the Excise Department has earned a total of about 29 thousand 911 crores from alcohol in these years. If considered an average of 5 years, then the drinkers drank liquor worth 5 thousand 982 crores.
The Excise Department has stated its revenue in the latest report more than 8 thousand crores. Interestingly, during the Congress government, liquor sales of 4 to 6 thousand crores have been reported in the state. However, in the meantime, there was a dispute over the liquor scam of 2161 crore. Its investigation is ED and EOW.
The Excise Minister of the previous Congress government, Kavasi Lakhma, is in Jail, at which time the Excise Department has given an income of more than 8 thousand crores in 2023-24. The BJP government had already come into existence in the state.
How many drinkers in Chhattisgarh
In February 2025, Minister of State for Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel informed about the survey in Rajya Sabha
The Ministry conducts the National Family Health Survey (NFHS). This survey is done on women and men aged 15 to 49.
In the Rajya Sabha, the Union Minister said that according to the latest report, 35.9 men and 2.8 percent of women in Chhattisgarh drink alcohol.
India has 22.4 percent of the national average of alcohol and 0.7 percent of women.