EVERY LIQUOR BOTTLE WILL COST RS 3 MORE AFTER UTTARAKHAND GOVT’S CABINET DECISION. Will generate Rs. 4000 annually from liquor sale ! IMFL Liquor to TO BE cheaper. Congress criticizes !
The Congress party has strongly condemned the decision of the Uttarakhand government to decrease the rates of liquor in the state saying that instead of lowering the rates of essential commodities, especially domestic gas cylinder and petro product prices the Uttarakhand government has preferred to choose the liquor to lessen the prices instead of giving relief to women and suffering families already having been overburdened due to skyrocketing prices. In a statement the vice president of Uttarakhand Congress Dhirendra Pratap while strongly criticizing the state BJP government of Uttarakhand for lowering the prices of liquor in the state said that instead of improving the health sector of the state and lowering the prices of domestic gas cylinder and essential commodities the state cabinet chaired by the CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has preferred lowering the rates of liquor brands which are literary spoiling families.
Terming the state government’s decision as anti people and pro liquor mafia – Dhirendra Pratap said that instead of raising the prices of liquor brands and lowering the prices of consumables, the anti people government has favored the liquor trade of the state, spoiling families.
It may be recalled that on Monday in a cabinet meeting of Uttarakhand government chaired by the state chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami – three important decisions were unanimously taken.
Out of these three decisions the most important decision taken was on the excise policy 2023-24 of the state government.
In one of the significant decisions, the present government has in order to counter the losses being faced by it in the illegal smuggling of liquor at UP and Uttarakhand border of UP brand liquors has taken a decision not to increase the rates of UP regular brands more than Rs 20. The decision taken says that there will not be the difference of Rs. 20 in the regular UP brands being sold in Uttarakhand.
The cabinet decision stamped the 2023-24 excuse policy under which Rs. 3 has been increased in every bottle of liquor as cess to compensate or generate funds for women and child development n welfare, cow protection schemes, welfare of sportsmen, sports and related spheres.
The government has also okayed the old excise policy. Other two decisions pertain to Housing policy under which one storeyed house built house under self certification will be considered approved.
The cabinet decision regarding increasing the fitness charges of the mining vehicles have also been enhanced for the period of one year etc.
According to sources there is possibility of prices of Indian Made Foreign Liquor brands to cost cheaper from April 1 st. According to ANI tweet : Indian and Foreign liquor to become cheaper by Rs 100 -300 from 1 st April in Uttarakhand. Differences b/w prices of liquor in UP and Uttarakhand reduced from Rs. 150 to Rs 20. According to the chief secretary SS Sandhu this decision has been taken in view of the liquor smuggling from UP.
After these increments of Rs 3 as cess in every liquor bottle and the new liquor policy decisions it is believed that the state government of Uttarakhand already in huge fiscal deficit would be able to generate Rs. 4000 crores annually as compared to Rs 3600 crores last year. According to the new excise policy the old contractors of liquor sale and liquor vend holders may continue by pairing additional 15% tax.
It may be recalled that the annual budget of Uttarakhand tables this year had been if Rs. 77 thousand crores whereas it’s fiscal deficit had been of Rs 9,046 crores. About Rs 7 thousand crores is paid as interests against loans taken by the state government and the excise department generates maximum budget annually to partially cope with this terrible situation reveal sources.
