By IANS
Chandigarh : The Haryana government’s new excise policy (2008-09) announced Tuesday aims to generate a revenue of Rs.14.4 billion ($360.8 million), around Rs.900 million more than the current fiscal figure.
Announcing the policy here after a state cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the licence holders for liquor vends could now deposit 80 percent of licence fee in nine instalments instead of eight instalments earlier.
Hooda said imported liquor could be sold through canteen services department (CSD) of the defence forces. An assessment fee of RS.200 per imported liquor bottle will be levied.
For the first time, the government has made it mandatory that all country liquor bottles would carry holograms to prevent smuggling and adulteration.
The government also announced that the number of liquor vends would be reduced from 4,000 to 3,800 this year.
Wine will be sold in department stores located in shopping malls. Sales of imported foreign liquor, including whisky, beer, vodka, gin, rum, will be allowed in such department stores.
The license fee of bars in four-star and more category has been revised to Rs.1 million. Bar timings would be extended by two hours on payment of additional fee of Rs.500,000. Round-the-clock operation of bars will be allowed on additional payment of Rs.1 million.