Purchased beer? Now, you’re ‘permitted’ to sip it at the vend

LUCKNOW The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday cleared the new excise policy for 2024-25, in which the government, in a first, allowed beer vend owners to let people consume the brew, if they have 100 sq ft space next to their vends. The government is looking to mop up record excise revenue in excess of ₹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 11pm on Christmas eve (December 24) as well as New Year’s eve (December 31) .

The liquor lobby was, however, pushing for extending the current 10am-to-10pm sale time till 11pm, 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 allow consumers permission to consume it if they have 100 square feet space adjacent their vends. The police won’t harass such people, provided they behave decently in public,” Agarwal told HT.

A new category - Uttar Pradesh Made Liquor (UPML) - of 36% 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 countrymade liquor with 42% intensity, and now we are introducing another variety that would co-exist with a similar molasses-based product in the 36% alcohol-by-volume segment, but one that would be aimed at promoting grain-based industry,” said Agarwal.

The minimum guarantee quota (MGQ) of the countrymade segment, which contributes to nearly 45% of the total excise revenue volumes, has been increased by 10% 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, which had cited losses due to a variety of factors, including weather.

Till November, the state’s excise revenue had touched ₹27, 340.97 crore, about 10% more ( ₹2,382.47 crore) over what was achieved in the last fiscal, the reason why the minister appeared confident of a better excise revenue collection.

“The overall target for the current fiscal that ends March 2024 is ₹58,000 crore,” the minister said.