CHANDIGARH, March 23: From total prohibition, Haryana is taking a swing to the other extreme of making liquor cheap and easily available for worshippers of Bacchus all over the State, except the holy towns of Kurukshetra, Pehowa and Thanesar.Neither sales tax nor octroi, and absence of any kind of cess on liquor are the highlights of the new excise policy announced by the State Government yesterday.Excise duty and the factory price of country liquor, the announcement of which were withheld, are in all likelihood going to be lower than those fixed by neighbouring states ``in order to ensure that there is no smuggling of liquor into Haryana'', sources said.The auction of vends begins on March 28 at Gurgaon and would be conducted ``in a completely transparent manner'', with the proceedings being recorded on a video film, an official said.The number of vends would be the same as in 1995-96, which was about 1,150, before the Bhajan Lal Government closed the ones in rural areas.But it could beincreased to 1,500 and up to five sub-vends would be allowed with each group of 10 vends, the spokesman said.Although the quota of liquor has been fixed at 300 lakh proof litres for the year, contractors can sell an additional 20 per cent by paying Rs 25 per proof litre as license fee, and still more by paying a fee of Rs 30 per proof litre.The spokesman said IMFL licences would be given on a fixed fee to the highest bidder in a group of country liquor vends, and a wholesale licence of country liquor would be given to each group. Country liquor vends will be allowed to sell beer in rural areas where there was no IMFL vend.Licences would be given to select bars and restaurants and sale of draught beer would also be allowed in bars. Use of plastic bottles would be allowed only for IMFL, but sale of country liquor in convenient pouches of 180 ml and 375 ml will be permitted.In lieu of loss of octroi, municipal bodies will be given compensation at the rate of Rs 2 per bottle of IMFL, Re 1 perbottle of country liquor, and 25 paise per bottle of beer sold in their jurisdiction.The security will be taken from successful bidders in three installments.
