UP govt approves ‘new’ excise policy, move aimed at Rs 6,000 excess revenue next fiscal

New Delhi: Taking one more step towards promoting good governance and Ease of Doing Business in the state, Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Saturday approved the Excise policy for the financial year 2021-2022.

Under the new Excise Policy, impetus would be given on creating a system to remove roadblocks while generating excess revenue for the next financial year.

With the Excise Policy 2021-2022, the Yogi Adityanath government in expecting a sharp jump of Rs 6,000 revenue in the next fiscal. As against expected revenue Rs 28,340 crore in 2020-21, the expected revenue for 2021-22 is Rs 34,500 crore, an official statement read.

“To provide good quality liquor at economic prices, UP Made Liquor (in Tetra-pack and of 42.8 per cent strength only) made from Grain ENA, shall be sold at an MRP of Rs 85 through country liquor shops. Integrated Supply Chain Management System (IESCMS) shall be implemented by computerizing the various processes of the department. The system of sale of liquor in retail shops using PoS machines shall be implemented in 2021-22,” the state government said in a statement on Saturday.

Features of New Excise Policy

To promote ease of doing business, brand registration, label approval, bar and micro-brewery licences will have the option to be renewed up to 3 years instead of requiring approvals every year, the New Excise Policy said.

The sale of Low Alcoholic Beverages (LAB) shall be allowed in foreign liquor retail shops, model shops and premium retail vends in addition to beer shops.

Premium retail vends shall be permitted at airports. Wine tasting facility and sale of drinking accessories shall be allowed at premium retail vends.

To promote production of wine within the state, wine made out of locally produced fruits shall be exempted from excise duty for a period of five years, it said. Vintners shall be allowed retail sale of wine.

Advance storage of foreign liquor, beer and wine for the year 2021-22 will be allowed from February 15. Also, to ensure availability of liquor during the beginning of the year, rollover process of residual stock on March 31 for next year is simplified and there will be no roll over fee for carrying forward of these stocks.

At present, the strength of alcohol is being measured by manual hydrometers. To promote use of technology in monitoring of production processes, the use of digital alcohol meters certified/ calibrated by NABL will be mandatory in laboratories of the department and in distilleries.

4 Excise police personnel over hooch tragedy

Taking action in the Bulandshahar hooch tragedy, Uttar Pradesh Government on Friday suspended four Excise Police personnel.

As per an official release, the suspended Excise Police personnel include one inspector and three constables. The state government also removed the Joint Excise Commissioner, Meerut zone Deputy Excise Commissioner and District Excise Officer of Bulandshahar from their posts.

Six people have died so far due to the consumption of illicit liquor in the Sikandrabad area of Bulandshahar.