Excise Policy gets Himachal Cabinet nod, envisages 14% revenue growth

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 20

The Cabinet today gave nod to excise policy for the financial year 2022-23 which envisages collection of Rs 2,131 crore revenue during the year which will be Rs 264 crore higher than last year. The Cabinet meeting held here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur gave approval to the excise policy which will register growth of 14 per cent in the excise revenues.

Approval was also given for the renewal of retail excise vends in the state for the financial year 2022-23 at the renewal fees of 4 per cent of the value of unit/vend. The objective is to gain adequate enhancement in government revenue and curb smuggling of country liquor from the neighbouring states by reduction in its price.

As per the policy, the brands of country liquor will be cheaper as licence fees has been reduced. This will help in providing good quality liquor at a cheaper rate to the consumers and curb illicit liquor trade and evasion of duty.

In the new excise policy, the 15 per cent fixed quota of country liquor for manufacturers and bottlers to be supplied to the retail licencees has been abolished. This step will give the retail licencees to lift their quota from the suppliers of their choice and further assure supply of good quality country liquor at competitive prices. The MRP of country liquor will be cheaper by 16 per cent of the existing price.

Another significant feature of the policy is that it will help raise more funds for the welfare of “Gau Vansh” as the Gaudhan Vikas Nidhi Fund has been enhanced by Re 1 from existing Rs 1.50 to Rs 2.50. The fixed annual license fee of bars has been rationalized by abolishing the area specific slabs of licence fee. Now throughout the state there will be uniform licence slabs based on the room capacity in hotels.

To provide better facility to the tourists visiting tribal areas and also provide relief to the hotel entrepreneurs, the rates of annual fixed licence fee of bars in the tribal areas has been reduced considerably. In order to monitor the manufacturing, operations of liquor, its dispatch to wholesalers and subsequent sale to retailers, it has been made mandatory for all the above stakeholders to install CCTV cameras at their establishments.

Keeping in view the recent irregularities detected by the department in liquor bottling plants, wholesale vends and retail vends, penalty provisions under the HP Excise Act, 2011 have been made more stringent. Also, now online excise administration system shall be set up which shall include the facility of track and trace of liquor bottles besides other modules for real time monitoring.

The Cabinet also gave its nod to HP State Toll Policy for the year 2022-23 which envisages auction cum tender for all the toll barriers in the state. The Cabinet also gave approval to amend Himachal Pradesh Disaster Relief Manual-2012 to include deaths due to biting of honey bees, hornet and wasps, accidental drowning and deaths due to accidents of vehicles.

Quota norm abolished

In the new excise policy, the 15 per cent fixed quota of country liquor for manufacturers and bottlers to be supplied to the retail licencees has been abolished. This step will give the retail licencees to lift their quota from the suppliers of their choice and further assure supply of good quality country liquor at competitive prices. The MRP of country liquor will be cheaper by 16 per cent of the existing price.

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