New excise policy: Liquor shops to be allotted via e-lottery system

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Wednesday approved the new excise policy for 2025-26 providing for an e-lottery system for allotment of liquor shops across the state.

The cabinet also decided to convene the budget session of the state legislature from February 18. Senior officers of the state government remained unavailable for comment.

Those aware of the development said under the new excise policy, one person would be allowed to submit only one application with a prescribed non-refundable security. One person would not be entitled to get more than two shops allocated and the allotment of shops would be done through e-lottery. No private agency would be engaged in conducting the e-lottery system. The National Informatics Centre (NIC) would conduct the lottery in all the districts and the names selected in the lottery in every district would be sent to Lucknow for allotment of shops.

A senior minister said the state cabinet is yet to take a call about the advisory price for sugarcane. He said the state cabinet has decided to convene the budget session from February 18. As this will be the first session of the state legislature in 2025, governor Anandiben Patel will address a joint sitting of the two houses on the opening day. There are indications that the state government would present the state’s annual budget for 2025-26 on February 19 though the business advisory committee of the house would give final shape to the agenda.