Punjab is likely to lower down liquor rates across the state to avoid any sort of smuggling from the neighbouring states. The people of Punjab especially men who consume liquor often are happy to listen to the news that having a hard drinks are going to be easy on their pockets.
The Punjab’s finance minister, Manpreet Singh Badal extended his assurance on bringing down the rates of liquor across the state so that they can keep a check on its illegal smuggling from the nearby states. Till date, it is seen that people are getting liquor from Chandigarh and other parts of the country due to its cheaper price.
How will cheaper liquor rates help in PunjabÂ
As per the reports of the excise and taxation department, lowering down of the liquor rates in Punjab will generate Rs 2,000 crore as income for the state. Presently, there are a bunch of notorious lot who smuggle liquor from Chandigarh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh that share their boundaries with Punjab. Due to this illegal smuggling of liquor, Punjab state is facing a lot of losses. The state finance minister of Punjab is considering the lowering down of liquor prices as a great prospects receive revenue.
Ever since Captain Amarinder Singh has become the chief minister of Punjab, the liquor prices have gone high in the state. The rates of the country made liquor went high from 5 to 10 percent from the year 2016-17 to 2017 -18. Not only this, the government of Punjab also slashed out the number of liquor vends in the state from to 5,900 to 6,384.
Going by the excise policy made by the Congress-led Punjab government the quota of country liquor was reduced by 14% than last year, which comes out to 8.70 crore proof litres. However, the quota for India Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) was also brought down to 3.80 crore proof litres from 4.73 crore proof litres.
Lower rates of liquor in Punjab to stop smuggling
Yes, it is obvious that the smuggling of liquor will also get lowered in Punjab after lowering down of the liquor rates across the state. No one would ever bring liquor from the nearby states when they can afford the same liquor within their state at a reduced price. Recently, under the excise policy of 2017-18, the state government had turned down the wholesale license L-1 A and L-1 licensees were only allowed to take their quota for liquor from the distilleries.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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