M A I N   N E W S

Haryana to decontrol molasses
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 20
The Haryana Government has decided to decontrol molasses and country liquor in the state. While approving the Excise policy for the year 2001-2002, the state Cabinet today gave its go-ahead to the decision to decontrol molasses to ensure its easy availability, an official press note said. The restrictions on the import and export of molasses were also abolished.

The Cabinet, which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mr Om Prakash Chautala, also approved decontrolling of the supply of country liquor in the state. It was decided that supply of country liquor to licensees would not be restricted to distilleries inside the state. It would be thrown open to reputed distilleries all over the country for the sake of quality, variety and reasonable price.

The licensees would be allowed to lift 25 per cent additional quota of country liquor on a cumulative basis every month without any additional licence fee. It was also decided to discontinue the concessional excise duty on the additional lifting of IMFL (India made foreign liquor). There would be, however, no ceiling on the additional lifting of IMFL.

The Cabinet also decided to fix the upper limit of number of vends at 1550 as against the present figure of 1500. No vend would be allowed within 3 km of the district boundary of the adjoining district and 2 km of the boundary of the adjoining group within the district except the vends auctioned as such.

Keeping in view the religious sanctity of Kurukshetra, Thaneswar and Pehowa, it was decided not to open any liquor vend within the municipal limits of these places. It was also decided that no liquor vend would be ordinarily located at a distance less than 150 metres from the main gate of a recognised school or college or the main bus terminus or places of worship.

The Cabinet approved a marginal increase in the quota of country liquor from 425 lakh proof litres to 450 lakh proof litres. It has also been decided to fix quota of IMFL based on average consumption during the past three years. The Cabinet approved rationalisation of license fees so that various brands could be available in the state.

While there would be no change in the existing policy on wholesale vends of country liquor, under the new policy, the wholesale vend for foreign liquor (L-1) licence would be given to the highest bidder in each group within a district.

It was decided that L- 4 or L-5 be granted to tourist complexes run by Haryana Tourism, restaurants with three star and above ratings and restaurants of repute situated in and around the cities operative in the year 2001-2002 without referring their cases to the district-level approval committees.

The policy for grant of L-12-A licence to individuals for serving liquor at functions has also been modified. The fee for serving liquor by an individual at private premises will be Rs 1000 per day per function, but in case of other premises it will Rs 5000 per day per function.

The Cabinet decided to continue the present policy for imported liquor with the condition that direct import would be allowed only if L-1 licensees fail to provide the brands required by the L-4 or L-5 and L-12-C licensees.

The Cabinet also fixed the licence fee for L-1-B (distilleries or bottling plants) and L-1-B-1 (license for import and sale of beer, wine, liquor etc for the distilleries or breweries of Haryana as well as other states) at Rs 2.50 lakh for sale up to 10,000 cases, Rs 5 lakh for sale above 10,000 cases and up to 20,000 cases and Rs 10 lakh for sale above 25,000 cases, provided that applicants having sales below 10,000 cases per annum would have the option not to take L-1-B licence. But he/she would have to pay double the normal excise duty. They would be required to get the brand labels approved but no brand label fee would be charged. The fee for L-1-B-1 for beer or wine has been reduced from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh provided that the applicant would have the option not to take L-1-B-1 license subject to the condition that he/she would have to pay one and half time the normal excise duty.

There would be no change in the brand label fee. However, an additional brand fee would be charged for each additional label in case liquor was sourced from more than one source. Label fee as per the IMFL pattern would be levied in respect of country liquor also. Under the new policy franchise fee has been enhanced from Rs 3 per proof litre to Rs 5 per proof litre.

Also, the lower rate of excise duty of Rs 25 per proof litre on lifting of additional quota of IMFL has been abolished. Duty of draught beer has been enhanced from Rs 8 per BL to Rs 16 per BL. L-4, L-5 licensees would be allowed to purchase draught beer directly from the breweries.

The rate of import fee and export fee on country liquor has been retained at Rs 2 per proof litre and Rs 5 per proof litre respectively. On beer, it will be Rs 3 per BL (import duty) and Rs 0.50 per bottle of 650 ml (export duty), potable rectified spirit Rs 2 per proof litre (import duty) and Rs 1 per BL (export duty), absolute alchohol Rs 2.50 per proof litre (import Duty) and Rs 1.25 per BL (export duty) and on Denatured Spirit Rs 2 per proof litre (import duty) and Rs 1 per BL (export duty).

The franchisee fee has also been revised to bring it on a par with import duty. It would be Rs 2 per proof litre for country liquor, Rs 5 per proof litre for IMFL and Rs 3 per BL for beer.

The minimum retail sale price (MRP) of IMFL and country liquor has been fixed at Rs 100 for 750 ml of IMFL and Rs 60 for the same amount of country liquor. The MRP for country liquor pouches with 180 ml will be Rs 12.

The municipal bodies would be paid Re 1 per bottle of country liquor of 750 ml , Re 1 for 750 ml of IMFL and 50 paise per bottle of beer.. The panchayats and panchayat samitis would also continue to get the same rates as per the previous year. Transit slips would be made mandatory for vehicles carrying liquor for preventing liquor smuggling.