UP tweaks rules for premium liquor shops

Lucknow: No new premium liquor shop will be allowed to come up within 200 metres of a model shop or English wine shop in the state. The order comes after a group of retailers and entrepreneurs approached the excise department to revise the rules citing loss in business.While existing premium shops, which sell premium products priced above a certain level, will continue to operate, new ones will be allowed to come up only if the distance from the existing retail shop is more than 200 metres.Meanwhile, reviewing the preparations of the department ahead of the festive season, excise minister Nitin Agarwal on Monday directed officials to maintain a strict vigil to check illegal smuggling of liquor from Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab into UP. "Help of the GST department shall be taken at the border checkpoints to ensure liquor from other states is not smuggled inside UP," said Agarwal.It was found that the Mirzapur, Varanasi and Ayodhya divisions have been able to achieve the set revenue target or were close to achieving it, while excise officials deputed in Basti, Gorakhpur and Azamgarh divisions were pulled up for not being able to promote sales during the first half of the 2024-25 financial year.Principal secretary of the department, Veena Kumari Meena said that during the special drives, 330 people were sent behind bars for various offences during Sept. From Apr 1 to Sept 30, more than 5,500 individuals were sent to jail for being involved in the illicit liquor business, while 118 motor vehicles transporting hooch, smuggled liquor and other prohibited items were attached across the state.Chasing a target of Rs 50,000 crore for 2024-25, the department has been able to achieve revenue amounting to Rs 22,563 crore during the first six months and is hopeful of achieving higher revenues during the festive season and winter months, officials said.
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