Excise department kept horticulturist interests in mind while framing new policy

With a motive to enhance the Government revenue and curb the illegal smuggling of country liquor from the neighbouring states, the Himachal Pradesh Government stamped its new Excise policy 2023-24, with necessary innovative changes, with a motive bring transparency in the auction process, besides help checking manufacturing of adulterated liquor.

While finalizing the Policy, the Excise department has also kept the interests of the horticulturists in mind. In order to facilitate the horticulturists and to boost the economy the new excise policy aspire to introduce a new category of liquor obtained by fermentation of fruits and their distillation or by blending.  This will go a long way in strengthening the economy of the horticulturists as they will get remunerative prices of their produce.

With the bold step taken by the Government, the revenue collection is expected to increase by 15 to 20 per cent through auction-cum-tender policy, which will strengthen the economy of the State as well. The Government scrapped off the earlier process, wherein, the license of liquor vends was just renewed every year.

The best selling high range wine brands will also be easily available to the consumers now as the bottling of imported wine will be taken up in the wineries of the State. There will be no hooch tragedies as such and the illegal trade of liquor will be contained.

An effective, end-to-end online Excise Administration System will facilitate track and trace of liquor bottles besides other modules for real-time monitoring.