High on reforms, down on cash, the Marxist West Bengal government is set to drown its ideological doubts and let the bubbly flow. It is revamping its age-old liquor policy to make ‘‘foreign’’ booze more easily accessible to people. The move is aimed at boosting revenue and exploiting an area that many believe has remained largely untapped. Beer shops are likely to be allowed to expand their offerings to the entire range of Indian-made Foreign Liquor (IMFL)—whiskey, beer, rum etc. Shopping malls and departmental stores, which are already selling low-alcohol ready-to-drink brands, may be next. In fact, former ganja and opium dealers who were earlier granted licences to sell UP rum and beer are now being given licences to operate as shops for foreign liquor. About 88 out of a total of 144 have already got the licence. The rest will also be given soon, says Commissioner of State, Excise, S.C. Tiwari. As of now, directives have been issued to state excise commissioners to grant permission to big shopping centres, covering not less than 3,500 sq ft. The liquor lobby’s reaction, however, is mixed. ‘‘What the state government is doing is welcome. We appreciate any move to open up white channels for marketing of alcohol,’’ says Parag Mitra, secretary of the IMFL Dealers and Bonders Association. Acknowledging the ideological leap taken by the government, he adds: ‘‘The change in the outlook has come out of two factors—globalisation and more importantly the precarious financial condition. So much so that revenue is taking precedence over social taboos.’’ Mitra may not be wrong. In the budget speech for 2002-2003, West Bengal Excise Minister Probodh Sinha admitted: ‘‘In the matter of granting llicences for new shops, the government has always been cautious, keeping in mind the wider social interests rather than the urgency of augmenting the state revenue.’’ However, an old IMFL dealer feels that while the consumers will definitely benefit, it’s hard to say the same for the government. ‘‘If one goes by the mental make-up of a majority of the drinkers in this region, they are going for instant kicks. Those looking for a sophisticated ambience to sip breezers are still negligible in number and would never fill government coffers,’’ he feels. Converting beer shops into IMFL outlets is a better idea to broaden the tax base, he suggests. But a substantial increase in revenue is precisely what the government is looking for. Informed state government officials say they are hoping for at least Rs 1,000 crore per annum compared to the present Rs 500 crore as excise duty on the sale of IMFL and country spirits. In fact, it has dawned rather late on the Left Front government that it is not information technology alone where Bengal has missed the bus and fallen behind states like Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu. Industry sources say the two states earn between Rs 3,000 crore and Rs 4,000 crore annually from sale of IMFL and other local brands.
