New ‘strict’ rules for liquor permits in Gujarat; health certificate from pvt doctors not valid
The state government has now removed the provision to charge Rs 50 for Health Permit form and increased the Health Permit Process Fee from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 while imposing Health Checkup fee of Rs 2,000.
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(Illustration: CR Sasikumar)
The state government on Wednesday announced new rules for obtaining liquor permits on health grounds in the state under the provisions of the Mumbai Foreign Liquor Rules, 1953. As per the new “strict” rules, the state government has cancelled the provision under which health certificates issued by private doctors to obtain liquor permits were valid. The state government has now removed the provision to charge Rs 50 for Health Permit form and increased the Health Permit Process Fee from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 while imposing Health Checkup fee of Rs 2,000.
Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja informed the state Assembly about the changes in the rules while adding that it will be complimentary to the state government’s revised and stricter anti-prohibition law declared in the Assembly last year.
As per the new rules, the state government has cancelled the provision of having 26 Area Medical Boards in different parts of the state and replaced it with six new Area Medical Boards to get the liquor permit on health grounds.
Till now, Area Medical Board used to give liquor permits on the basis of an opinion of a Superintendent (Prohibition & Excise Department) level officer. So far, applicants were submitting applications along with certificate of a private doctor. However, the private doctor’s certificate will no longer be valid to get the permit on health grounds.
The six new Area Medical Boards will be situated in Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Surat, Gandhinagar and Vadodara. People of different districts will have to approach the Area Medical Board concerned to get the liquor permit on health grounds. Each Area Medical Board will have a Regional Deputy Director (Prohibition & Excise Department), a Medical Superintendent and a full-time Head of Department of Medicine of a medical college.
Mumbai Foreign Liquor Rules, 1953 has a provision to have a State Medical Board where a decision of Area Medical Board can be challenged. Under the rules, the State Medical Board has been reconstituted. And the fees for moving an appeal has been kept at Rs 5,000.
Replying to a question on what was the reason behind changing the rules, Jadeja said, “We had found that somewhere down the lower level, there was some laxity (in issuing liquor permits on health grounds). And therefore, we have brought these new rules to ensure that nobody gets liquor permit wrongfully and misuse the same.”
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