Prayagraj: The state’s new excise policy, set to come into effect from April 1, introduces several key changes aimed at providing relief to licence holders while rationalising pricing and quota systems across categories of liquor.For the first time, a 100 ml miniature bottle of country liquor, commonly referred to as a ‘bachcha’, will be introduced in the market. The 42.8% strength miniature will be priced at Rs 50. Until now, miniatures were available only in Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), while the smallest unit in country liquor was the 200 ml ‘paua’. In view of lower sales within municipal corporation limits, the quota for country liquor shops in urban areas was fixed at 4% while in rural areas it will go up to 8%. Officials said shopkeepers will no longer face pressure to lift excess stock in case of poor sales. As per the policy guidelines issued by special secretary Abhishek Anand and excise commissioner Adarsh Singh, month-wise quotas were rationalised based on seasonal demand. The minimum quota was fixed at 8.5% in April, 9.5% in May during the wedding season, 9% in June, 8% in July, 6.5% in August and September, 8.5% in October, 9.5% in November and December, 9% in January, 8% in February and 7.5% in March. Pricing of country liquor was also revised to curb disputes over change and allegations of overcharging. Only 25% strength liquor will now be available at Rs 55. The 28% variant will cost Rs 60, 36% strength Rs 80, and 42.8% strength Rs 90 per 200 ml. Earlier, uneven pricing such as Rs 55, Rs 65 and Rs 75 often led to friction between customers and shopkeepers over returning small change. Officials said the revised pricing structure addresses this issue. Wholesale traders were given major relief. Earlier, licence fees ranged between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 25 lakh, causing heavy losses for low-lifting warehouses. The new policy reduces the base licence fee to Rs 2 lakh, with an additional 0.4% to 0.5% duty linked to sales volume. Warehouses with higher sales will pay 0.5%, while those with lower sales will pay 0.4%, reducing the financial burden. District excise officer Sushil Kumar Mishra said the new framework offers significant relief to licensees and removes pressure arising from rigid monthly lifting norms. Meanwhile, the quota and licence fee for bhang shops were increased by 10%, and prices are also set to rise. IMFL will become costlier by Rs 10 to Rs 30 from April 1, with a 7.5% increase in quota and licence fee. A similar 7.5% hike will apply to beer.
