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Ice bars, beer brewery pubs to come up in Haryana

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Cabinet on Tuesday approved the State’s Excise Policy for 2008-09. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda disclosed that while giving relief to the licensees, the system of payment of 80 per cent licence fee in eight instalments had been revised to nine instalments and the last date for depositing the fee had been changed from the 15th of each month to the 20th.

(According to PTI, the new policy provides for introduction of “Ice Bars” and “Micro Beer Brewery Pub” to provide liquor at zero degree Celsius and beer after being brewed in front of the customers. “Ice Bars” would function at zero degree Celsius providing a new experience to the customers while the “Micro Beer Brewery Pub” would provide the customer of seeing his order being brewed in front of him on the small beer plant. The license fee for Ice Bar and Pub has been kept at Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2.50 lakh respectively.)

The policy also allows imported liquor through the Canteen Stores Department for defence personnel. However, an assessment fee of Rs.200 per bottle would be levied, he added.

To prevent smuggling and adulteration, a hologram will be affixed on country liquor (CL) bottles and for maintaining quality, 25 per cent of the free quota of C.L. will be allowed. Also, the permit fee of one rupee per bulk litre on ethanol would be abolished.

Mr. Hooda said the number of vends had been reduced from 4,000 to 3,800.Wine and imported foreign liquor would be allowed to be sold in department stores located in shopping malls. The government agencies would try to provide space for running of vends in urban areas of Gurgaon and Panchkula at reasonable rates in pre-fabricated structures wherever available.

The licence fee for bars in four-star and above category has been revised to Rs.10 lakh. The bar timings would be extended by two hours on payment of an additional fee of Rs.5 lakh and round-the-clock operation of bars would be allowed on additional payment of Rs.10 lakh. The earlier timings of sale from 8 a.m. to midnight would be revised to 9 a.m. to midnight.

The annual licence fee for L50 licence (possession of liquor in excess of possession limit) has been reduced to Rs.200 from Rs.500. Mr. Hooda further disclosed that sub-vends had been allowed at a flat rate of Rs.50,000 and Rs.25,000 in case of vends with licence fee of more than Rs.10 lakh and licence fee of Rs.10 lakh and below, respectively. The minimum retail sale price of beer has been revised from Rs.30 to 35. The minimum retail sale price of C.L. has been revised to Rs.60 (quarter), Rs.35 (pint) and Rs.20 (nip) from the existing Rs.55, Rs.30 and Rs.15 respectively.

New sizes of bottles for IMFL have been introduced. These are 700 ml, 500 ml, 90 ml and 60 ml. The minimum retail prices in respect of these sizes of bottles have also been prescribed. It is Rs.95 for a bottle of 700 ml, Rs.65 for 500 ml, Rs.10 for 90 ml bottle and Rs.5 for a 60 ml bottle.

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