By IANS,
Chandigarh : At a time when the country’s general elections are just round the corner, the Haryana government Monday announced that reservations were being made for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Backward Classes (BC) category A in allotment of liquor vends under the new excise policy for this year.
Haryana Finance and Excise and Taxation Minister Birender Singh said that the reservation, the first and the “most unique” in the country, was being made to ensure participation of these categories in economic growth.
The reservation of retail liquor vends, both for Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) and country liquor shops, for the SC and BC category will be 10 percent of the total vends being allowed, the minister said.
Singh said the excise revenue from liquor would touch Rs.20 billion (Rs.2,000 crore) in 2009-10, a clear Rs.5 billion (Rs.500 crore) over last year (2008-09). He said that this will happen despite the number of liquor vends in the state going down from 3,800 to 3,500 this year.
The government has decided that liquor outlets would not be opened in those villages where ‘Kanya Gurukuls’ (girls’ schools) are functioning. Liquor sale hours in rural areas have been reduced by one hour in summer (April to October) and two hours in winter (November to March).
Singh said that revenue generated from liquor sales would be used for social and rural schemes benefiting the public.