Madhya Pradesh: Government passes new liquor policy; Ahatas, shop bars to be shut in state

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The state government on Sunday approved a new excise policy. Under the new policy, ahatas and shop bars will be closed in the state. This announcement was made in the cabinet meeting held on Sunday evening. Only liquor will be sold from shops and the facility to sit and consume wine at the shops will be prohibited.

After the approval of new excise policy, 2,580 ahatas and 31 shop bars will get closed across the state.

Addressing media persons, Home Minister Narottam Mishra said the government was taking every possible step to discourage liquor consumption. He further said steps would be taken to cancel driving licences of people found drunken vehicles. He said the distance of liquor shops from educational institutions, girls' hostels and religious places was being increased from 50 meters to 100 meters.

The minister said renewal of liquor contracts would be done with hike of 3% to 10%. The government would do appropriate provision in the budget for de-addiction and to spread awareness to shun the liquor habit. If there is any protest against opening of wine shop in any area, then steps would be taken to remove the shop.

The Cabinet also gave its nod to the 'heritage' liquor policy as well. The shops which do not go into renewal would be later auctioned. Notably, the government has brought the 'heritage' liquor policy keeping in mind the interests of tribals.

The new excise policy was lingering for a long as former CM Uma Bharti had opened a front against it, demanding from the government to take steps to discourage liquor consumption. She had even staged sit-in at a local temple in Bhopal demanding that liquor shops should not be opened near any religious places. She even wrote a letter to CM, demanding closure of ahatas, maintaining 1-km distance between liquor shop and educational institution and at least half a km distance of liquor shops from religious places.