Lucknow: In a significant development, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Thursday approved excise policy for the financial year 2025-26. As part of the new policy, all liquor shops in the state will now be managed through e-lottery. Giving details, State Excise Minister Nitin Agarwal said that the decision taken in the state cabinet meeting held on Wednesday evening and said in a press conference on Thursday that the state cabinet has approved the excise policy for the fiscal year 2025-26.
He stated that the biggest decision in this policy is that this year the management of all desi liquor shops, composite shops, model shops and bhang shops of the state will be done through e-lottery.
He said that in the lottery system, an applicant will get a chance to apply only once and not more than two shops will be allotted to an applicant in the state.
Agarwal further added that since the lottery system is being implemented, the processing fee has also been divided into five categories. The first category will include the municipal corporation areas of Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Agra, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur and Kanpur and their three kilometer radius.
He stated that the processing fee has been fixed at Rs 65,000 for country liquor shops, Rs 90,000 for composite shops, Rs 1 lakh for model shops and Rs 25,000 for cannabis shops.
He added that in the second category, except for the metros included in the first category, the processing fee of Rs 60,000, Rs 85,000, Rs 90,000 and Rs 25,000 has been fixed for liquor shops (desi liquor, composite shops, model shops and cannabis shops) within a radius of three kilometers.
According to the State Excise Minister, the third category includes all municipal areas and their three kilometer radius. Among them, the processing fee of Rs 50,000, Rs 75,000, Rs 80,000 and Rs 25,000 has been fixed for desi liquor, composite shops, model shops and cannabis shops respectively.
The Excise Minister also added that the fourth category includes the boundaries of the Nagar Panchayat and its three kilometer perimeter. In these, the processing fee has been fixed at Rs 45000, Rs 65000, Rs 70000 and Rs 25000 respectively.
The fifth category includes rural areas. Among them, the processing fee has been fixed at Rs 40,000, Rs 55,000, Rs 60,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively for desi liquor, composite shops, model shops and cannabis shops.
He said that the government has introduced 90ml bottles in the regular category of foreign liquor. In the premium segment, 60ml and 90ml bottles will now be available.
Country liquor, previously sold in glass bottles, will now be mandatorily packaged in tetra packs to enhance safety and prevent adulteration.
The Minimum Guarantee Quota (MGQ) for country liquor has been increased by 10 per cent, consistent with the previous year’s policy, he said.
The license fee per bulk liter has been increased from Rs 254 to Rs 260, the minister said.
The Excise policy aims to promote farmers engaged in fruit-based liquor production, ensuring a dedicated liquor shop at every district headquarters for their products. Licensing fees for such shops have been set at Rs 50,000 for divisional and district headquarters and Rs 30,000 for other district locations, he said.
(With inputs from PTI)