Liquor shops near religious areas to lose licence as Uttarakhand Cabinet approves new policy | India News

The definition of a religious area and the distance from such an area at which the sale of liquor can be allowed will be made clear in a Government Order to be issued soon, a senior official said.

Currently, there is a ban on setting up liquor shops in a seven-km radius of Har Ki Pauri and Rishikesh Municipal Council. Liquor is banned in the Char Dham circuit and Hemkund Sahib.

The new policy also says that a shop can lose its licence if it sells liquor for more than its maximum retail price. “MRP rules will also apply to departmental stores to protect consumer rights,” a government statement said.

A senior official said the system of metro liquor and sub-shops have been abolished under the new policy.

The policy also mandates that wholesale liquor licences can only be issued to residents of Uttarakhand as part of an effort to “ensure economic benefits within the state”.

“To promote wineries in hill regions, units producing wine from locally grown fruits will receive excise duty exemptions for the next 15 years,” the statement said. This is aimed to benefit farmers and those engaged in horticulture.

Investment in the liquor industry is encouraged by reducing export duties, and malt and spirit industries in hill areas will receive special incentives, the Cabinet said.

Further, distilleries will be encouraged to use local agricultural products, which will increase farmers’ income and open new markets for them.

The revenue target for 2025-26 is Rs 5,060 crore. In 2023-24, against a target of Rs 4,000 crore, the state earned Rs 4,038.69 crore and in 2024-25, the target was Rs 4,439 crore, out of which nearly Rs 4,000 crore has already been collected, the statement said.

The Cabinet has also approved a decision to educate students about “Uttarakhand’s movement and cultural heritage”, and a supplementary book titled Our Heritage and Icons will be included in the curriculum for classes 6-8.