Uttar Pradesh govt bans liquor & bhang sale around Krishna Janmasthan

AGRA: Following a UP government notification issued on May 31, at least 29 liquor, beer and bhang (hemp) vends within a 10 square km radius area around Krishna Janmasthan temple complex in Mathura were completely closed down on Wednesday.
This comes almost a year after chief minister Yogi Adityanath had made the announcement on "prohibition" in the area. Incidentally, UP allows cultivation of cannabis (for bhang or hemp) and its sale across the state under the intoxicant category of the state's Excise Act.
The latest notification stated that "the government extends prohibition on import, export or transport of an intoxicant under sub-section (1) and on possession or consumption of an intoxicant under sub-section (2) of the United Provinces Excise Act 1910 (UP Act no IV of 1910) except for the cases covered under sub-sections (5) (e), (5) (f) and (5) (g) in 22 wards of Mathura".
District excise officer Prabhat Chandra told TOI that seven country-made liquor, seven IMFL, eight beer, six bhang and one model shops have been permanently closed after the state's directive. This will result in nearly Rs 40 crore annual revenue loss, he added.
The prohibition order comes amid sadhus demanding a blanket ban on liquor and meat sale around religious places. In September 2021, the state government had declared the area covering 22 municipal wards under Mathura-Vrindavan as a "holy pilgrimage site" and had announced a "ban on sale of liquor and meat". Though meat was banned last year, a ban on liquor and bhang was imposed on Wednesday.
Sanjay Agarwal, who owns a beer shop at Masani Chowk in Mathura, said, "I had taken a licence on May 6, but no one told me about shutting shops by the end of the month. No notice was issued. There is no clarity about the stock left in the shop and licence fee charged at the time of liquor shop's allotment."
A salesman of one of the country-made liquor vends said the licence was renewed on April 1 this year, but no one told them about these developments. Assuring that the "licence fee will be returned", Chandra said, "Though we had verbally informed shop owners to utilise the stock in time as government notification was expected any moment, it will be seized, if anyone is found keeping liquor in their shops."
Notably, the ban had already been imposed in the district's seven "religious towns of Govardhan, Baldev, Nandgaon, Radhakund, Gokul, Vrindavan and Barsana" after they were declared as "teerth stahls" by the government about four years ago.