Haryana excise policy: No liquor sub-vend to be allowed in villages with 500 or less people
Taverns shall operate only from enclosed premises approved by the department and would not be visible to passers-by under the policy that has been approved for 21.5 months
Approving the excise policy for a period of 21.5 months, the Haryana Council of Ministers on Monday decided that no liquor sub-vend will be permitted in villages having a population of 500 or less.
Excise officials said the measure is aimed at promoting responsible retailing of liquor and addressing public sensitivities in small habitations. As a result of this provision, 152 existing sub-vends in over 700 villages will not operate across the state with effect from June 12.
The guidelines for operation of taverns (L-52) have been made stringent. Vends in urban areas shall not be permitted to open after 4 am as against the earlier provision of 8 am, an official spokesperson said. Taverns shall operate only from enclosed premises approved by the department and would not be visible to passers-by. The policy explicitly prohibits live singing, dancing, or theatrical performances within taverns to ensure a controlled and responsible drinking environment.
The council of ministers which approved the excise policy for 2025–27 brought in a major structural change to realign the policy year with the financial year. An official spokesperson said the new policy will be in operation from June 12, 2025 to March 31, 2027 for a period of 21.5 months, after which the future policy cycles will be aligned with the April–March financial year. The change in the cycle from June to June each year was introduced during the pandemic in 2020.
The excise revenue targets set by the state government for 2025–26 is ₹14,064 crore. The spokesperson said that excise and taxation department collected ₹12,700 crore against the target of ₹12,650 as excise revenue in 2024-25.
It was also decided that the distance of liquor shops from bus stands, schools, colleges and religious places would now be 150 meters instead of 75 meters in the previous policy. The policy also lay down that no liquor vend should be directly visible from national or state highways.
A fee of 4% of the license fee will be levied in Gurugram, 3% in Faridabad, Sonepat and Panchkula and 1% in other districts for opening an ahata (a place for consuming liquor). While there was no area limit for ahatas in the previous policy, the new policy sets a limit of 1000 square meters for ahatas.
Stricter restrictions on advertisement of liquor have also been introduced. All forms of advertisement, including any within the licensed zone, are now explicitly prohibited. In case of violations, a significantly higher penalty provision for any such advertisement has been prescribed. It will be ₹1 lakh for the first offence, ₹2 lakh for the second offence, and ₹3 lakh for the third offence. Any further violation will be treated as a major breach, attracting proceedings for cancellation of allotted zone.
The process for obtaining temporary licenses for events (L-12A and L-12A-C) has been rationalised. In unregistered commercial venues such as banquet halls, higher licence fees will be charged for one-day license, especially in urban areas like Gurugram, Faridabad, and Panchkula. This step aims to encourage registration while ensuring better monitoring. The policy mandates that all licensed retail vends and sub-vends prominently display warning - consumption of alcohol is injurious to health and do not drink and drive - on their signboards.
