Haryana to open liquor vends from Wednesday

Ajay Sura | TNN | May 6, 2020, 02:50 IST

File photo of Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government would start the sale of liquor from Wednesday. A decision in this regard has been taken in the state cabinet meeting held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. However, the rates of liquor may be higher as compared to the previous excise policy announced by the state in February this year, as the government has decided to impose "Covid cess" on the sale of liquor.
The government has also restricted the timings for sale of liquor — it will be available between 7 am and 7 pm.
The retail liquor vends would be allowed to operate in all the districts except containment zones.
Similarly, the financial year for the purpose of excise policy would begin from May 15, 2020. The Haryana government had banned the sale of liquor in the state from March 27 in view of the imposition of lockdown. However, within a period of last one and half month, the state had witnessed a large number of FIRs for liquor smuggling or bootlegging in the state. Lakhs of bottles of liquor has also been seized by the law enforcing agencies in the state during this period. The state has also suffered massive loss of around Rs 400 crore every month due to closure of liquor vends in the state.