Drinking at pubs in Gurgaon, Faridabad will now cost more

Excise department officials said the hike was necessary as the government hopes to meet the revenue gap created with the closure of liquor vends along national highways in the state, after a Punjab and Haryana High Court order.

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Officials said that the annual fee for bar owners had not been increased in eight years. The decision forms part of the state’s new excise policy announced earlier this month, which will remain in force for a year beginning April 1.

“We had expected to generate revenue of Rs 3,700 crore this year under the old excise policy. But the HC order on liquor vends would have impacted revenue. With the new excise policy, however, we expect to achieve our target despite the closure of vends along highways,” a senior excise department official said.

Under the new policy, CCTV cameras will be installed at the office of the Excise and Taxation commissioner and in distilleries to curb instances of liquor theft.

“The Excise department is also making efforts to maintain and make available an online record of each liquor bottle in the state,” Cabinet Minister Capt Abhimanyu, who hold the Excise and Taxation portfolio, said.

For the first time, the state government has also decided to make available permits for sale of liquor online from April 1. Even the auction of liquor vends will be done through an e-tendering system for the first time.

As per the new policy, the Excise and Taxation department will take on rent a few locations that come under the Haryana Urban Development Authority areas and in tourist complexes with high revenue potential, to set up liquor vends.