As a major step to promote liquor sales and make it more accessible for small entrepreneurs, the Uttar Pradesh government has launched a pilot project under its new excise policy. Excise department officials said that this would make it possible to sell low alcohol beverages like beer in mall equipped with multiplexes.
For this, the Excise Department has started accepting applications for the recently launched FL-4D license, which allows retail sales of beer, wine and other beverages falling in low alcohol category. Officials said that the scheme is currently being implemented on a pilot basis in Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Agra and Lucknow.
Retail license at low cost
Officials said the cost of license for this is Rs 6 lakh, while in earlier provision only FL-4C licenses were available at Rs 25 lakh per year, allowing the sale of premium liquor in the mall. Subodh Kumar, District Excise Officer of Asar Gautam Budh Nagar, a report of Hindustan Times report, said, “The government’s goal is to make the retail sales of liquor democratic by launching the FL-4D license, allowing more participants, especially small business owners to enter the market, while premium operations will be placed under the more expensive FL-4C structure.
This license is a step towards inclusive participation in the region, without a high barrier of cost. However, the sale or consumption of any type of alcohol inside the cinema hall will be tightened. These low alcohol beverages shops will be allowed only outside the cinema complex inside the mall. “
He said, “An application for FL-4D license has already been received from a mall of Noida Sector 43, while two more applications have been filed from other places.”
