State will get a new liquor policy in April this year, after which the system of retail sale of liquor will change in Jharkhand. As per the new excise policy, a private agency will open liquor shops across the State. It will have its own godown in all the five divisions. The agency will order and sell the liquor. Only the staff of the agency will work in the shop.
However, the agency will work under the control of the government. At present, private shopkeepers order liquor through permits. Departmental Minister Jagarnath Mahato has given consent on the new product policy on Tuesday. The new liquor policy will be tabled in the State Cabinet meeting on Thursday followed by which it will be tabled in Assembly.
The minister informed that Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) has been appointed as a consultant by the Jharkhand government. This company has suggested running the shop by private agency on the lines of Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The company says that without increasing the price of liquor, it will get revenue of Rs 2500 crores instead of Rs 1900 crores being available now. However, the expenditure on infrastructure will have to be borne by the state government. At the same time, the Jharkhand Retail Liquor Vendor Association said that after the implementation of the new product policy, liquor of well-known brands will become expensive.
The biggest advantage of the new liquor policy is that emphasis will also be on preventing illicit liquor making and theft of liquor. Electronic tracing of all the liquor that will be made, the number of bottles that will come in the market. The vehicle used to deliver liquor to the retailers will also be tracked with GPS. It has been recommended to give more punishment to those guilty of storing illicit liquor. At the same time, it is also proposed to sell country liquor in can packs and mark a trademark on it.
In the report submitted by CSMCL to the government, it has been claimed that even without increasing the price of liquor, the revenue of Rs 1900 crores currently being received by the government will reach Rs 2500 crores. He has advised to build five godowns in the five divisions on the lines of Chhattisgarh. The report said that infrastructure will have to be developed for the liquor business. The expenditure on this will have to be borne by the state government.
Meanwhile, the liquor seller association said - the company will sell the brand of choice. Subodh Jaiswal, secretary of Jharkhand Retail Liquor Vendor Association, said that with the new policy, popular brands of liquor will be costlier. Because the company will order liquor according to its convenience. Due to this, ordinary brand liquor made in the states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh etc. can become cheaper, but popular brand liquor will become expensive. On the other hand, the Jharkhand Bar and Restaurant Association said that if the license fee is increased, then they will close the bar from April 1.
