Haryana's new excise policy allows corporate offices to serve alcoholic beverages to employees

Offices covering an area of one-lakh square feet, with a minimum of at least 5,000 employees are only eligible to get the required license to serve alcohol

In a fresh change to its excise policy, the Haryana government will now allow offices in the state to serve low-content alcoholic beverages like liquor and wine to their employees starting June 12.

However, this facility will not be able to any and every office, and there are criteria that need to be met to obtain the required license for serving alcohol in corporate office premises.

According to the new excise policy, offices covering an area of one-lakh square feet, with a minimum of at least 5,000 employees are only eligible to get the required license (L-10F) for the same, a Mint report stated. The office canteen or eatery where liquor will be served should also cover an area of more than 2,000 square feet.

This change was made under the 2023-24 Excise Policy, which was approved by the state’s Council of Ministers on May 9.

Read | Haryana govt to open drug de-addiction centres: CM Khattar

According to the new Excise Policy and the terms and conditions given by the Excise and Taxation Commissioner, a company shall pay a fixed annual fee of Rs 10 lakhs ($13,700) after the L-10F licence is granted.

The company shall pay an extra amount of Rs 3 lakhs other than the annual fee, as security.

There has been an increase in the application fee of the temporary licence L-12AC for event organisers. The L-10F licence shall be granted by the collector after getting a clearance from the excise and taxation commissioners. A district’s Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner will be renewing the licence on behalf of the district collector.

Other key takeaways

Also the BJP-led government is eyeing to collect Rs 400 crore for environment and animal welfare under its new policy.

"Reiterating the government's commitment towards protecting the environment and animal welfare, the retail permit fee has been imposed in the new policy with a targeted collection of Rs 400 crore. The said amount will be utilised for the environment and animal welfare," an official statement said.

The policy has also discontinued the use of PET bottles for liquor.

To curb pilferage of liquor by wholesale licensees, the penalty provisions have been made stringent and there will be a complete ban on liquor promotion advertisements on various platforms by the licensee, including on social media as well.
In the new policy, the limit of the maximum number of retail liquor vends in the state has been reduced successively from 2,500 to 2,400 in 2023-24. In 2022-23 it was reduced from 2,600 to 2,500.

(With inputs from IANS)