Now liquor to be sold at grocery stores in Uttarakhand

Trivendra Singh Rawat led Uttarakhand government has approved the change allowing grocery shops (in hindi, "Parchoon ki dukan") to sell liquor. The decision was taken in cabinet meeting on Friday.

But liquor will not be selling in all grocery shops. According to Government,

“The department felt that the turnover limit fixed at Rs 5 crore for departmental stores in order to sell foreign liquor along with groceries and other utility articles was proving to be quite burdensome and costly. There was poor response to due to the high turnover fixed. So we have reduced the limit from Rs Five crore to Rs 50 lakh,”.

Thus those grocery shops with an annual turnover of Rupees 50 Lakh will be able to sell liquor (in Hindi, "Sharab"). They have to pay Rs. 5 Lakh as liquor sale license fee.

As far as my view is concerned, unless a person breaks any Law, I see nothing wrong with drinking. So having bar licenses for Hotels and restaurants in Uttarakhand can be accepted. Those customers who don't like to stay, eat or dine in such hotels or restaurants will choose those where liquor is not served.

But selling liquor in Grocery shops is WRONG. Particularly when many grocery shops will easily meet the eligibility requirement. It is like a Gun sale license given to General store or grocery store near you!

The sale of liquor in grocery shops will make liquor easily available to impressionable minds (children).

Talking about our views, I sometimes get amazed at how BJP led Governments seem to change their views over night. Last last year, their views about liquor sale were totally different. The latest decision is a complete U-turn on those views or beliefs.

In addition, the Government cabinet has also approved for reverting to the previous arrangement of allowing single liquor shops instead of a group of four shops to sell liquor within the radius of 20 km. This means that we will see more sprinkling over of liquor shops in Uttarakhand.

The Cabinet has also agreed to reduce the license fee to Three lakh from Rs five lakh for bars being run in hotels that have rooms less than 20.

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