UP: License Mandatory to Keep Liquor over Prescribed Limit at Home

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has now made it mandatory to have a license to keep liquor over the prescribed limit at home.

As per the revised excise policy in Uttar Pradesh, "Individuals will have to obtain a license to purchase, transport or keep in private possession liquor in excess of the prescribed retail limit."

According to the new policy, the limit of purchasing, transport, or private possession of alcohol per person or in a house is fixed at six litres .

In order to consume more liquor than this, a license has to be obtained from the Excise Department.

The Excise Department will provide the license at an annual fee of Rs 12,000, while Rs 51,000 will have to be deposited as security money under stipulated conditions.

"The state government has set a revenue target of Rs 34,500 crore in the year 2021-22, against Rs 28,300 crore in the year 2020-21 of the Excise Department. As a result, 7.5 percent increase in annual license fee for country liquor, foreign liquor retail shops, and model shops for the year 2021-22. There has been no increase in the retail shop license fee of beer," said additional chief secretary, excise, Sanjay Bhoosreddy.

He further added, "To promote liquor production in the state under the new policy, the liquor produced in the state from the fruits produced in the state will be exempted from consideration for the next five years."

However, the new policy has caused considerable resentment among people.

A retired bureaucrat, termed the new policy as 'unwarranted'.

"How (can) the government limit the quantity of liquor that one keeps at home? Six litres is unrealistic, because when you host a small party or have guests, the consumption of liquor invariably exceeds the limit," he said.

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