Haryana’s Gram Sabhas to be authorised to close liquor vends

The Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and attended by Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and newly appointed ministers Monday took the decision to bring an amendment in Section 31 of the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act allowing “devolution of powers to Gram Sabha to ban intoxicating liquor within the local area of a Gram Panchayat”.

“As per the decision, a Gram Sabha may, at any time, during the period commencing on first day of April and ending with the 31st day of December instead of 30th day of September of any year pass a resolution banning the opening of a liquor vend in the Sabha area from April 1 of the next year. The Cabinet also decided to extend the date of submission of their resolution in the office of Excise and Taxation Department to January 15 of the succeeding year instead of October 31 of the same year,” the Cabinet decided.

In another significant decision, the state government has decided to create a dedicated new department — the Department of Global Cooperation and Engagement — in order to streamline and provide focus to various initiatives taken by the state government for the promotion of investment, employment for Haryana youth and welfare of NRIs/Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs).

After the meeting, Khattar told mediapersons: “Haryana is recognised as one of the preferred investment destinations in the country and has remained in the forefront of foreign direct investment in the country during the last 5 years. It has emerged as one of the largest automobile hubs in the country and is emerging as base for the knowledge industry….”