Uttar Pradesh cabinet approves new excise policy, consumers may have to pay more for drinking alcohol

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 29 : The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh cabinet has approved the new excise policy, in which the license fee of liquor and beer shops has been increased by 10 per cent.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting held on Saturday.
The government has set a target of raising revenue of about Rs 45,000 crores from the excise department in the next financial year 2023-24, five thousand crores more than last year's target.
These provisions made in the excise policy may increase the prices of country-made, English, and premium brand liquor by rupees five to ten.
Following are some of the highlights of the excise policy:
Under the new excise policy, the license fee of the model shops has been increased from two lakh to three lakh rupees, in such a situation people may have to pay more for drinking liquor.
License fees and security fees of godowns have also been increased.
The fees for registration and renewal of the master warehouse have also been increased.
The license fee of hotels, restaurants, and clubs located up to five kilometers in the periphery of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation area has also been increased.
In the excise policy, the opening and closing times of country and English liquor, beer shops, and model shops have been kept unchanged, but on special occasions, the time of sale can be increased with the prior permission of the government.