Latest news with #ForeignLiquor
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Distilleries liable to pay full pay to excise officers deputed to their manufacturing units: Kerala HC
A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has held that private distilleries are liable to pay full pay and additional allowances of excise officers deputed to supervise manufacturing of liquor at their distilleries as cost of establishment to the State government. The Bench led by Justice Anil K. Narendran made the observation recently while allowing the appeals filed by the State government against the ruling of a single judge's verdict that only the additional allowance and not full pay of the officers needs to be paid to the government. The single judge's order came on writ petitions filed by the private distilleries which sell their products to the the Kerala State Beverages (Manufacturing and Marketing) Corporation challenging the collection of full pay. Senior government pleader Vinitha B. submitted that under the provisions of the Abkari Act, the Kerala Distillery and Warehouse Rules 1968, Foreign Liquor (Storage in bond) Rules 1961 and Kerala Rectified Spirit Rules 1972, the State government is authorised to depute excise officials for supervising activities and the cost for deputing such officers has to be borne by the distilleries. She also pointed out that as per the licence conditions, the distilleries are bound to pay the actual cost payable to the officer deputed. Therefore, the distilleries could not take the stand that only the charge allowance would be paid under section 53(b) of part I of Kerala Service Rules. Besides, the charge allowance was actually the one payable under Section 53(b) between the State government and its employees. The court observed that payment of establishment cost is one of the license conditions for granting the privilege of manufacturing intoxicating liquor. The court noted that there are no permanent cadre posts created for the supervisory functions of distilleries. The officers are deployed by the government. Therefore, private distilleries cannot contend that they are liable to pay only the charge allowance for the additional duty of an officer deputed to supervise the distilleries.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Cabinet gives nod to retail liquor sale by private players in state
1 2 Ranchi: The cabinet of chief minister Hemant Soren on Thursday approved a proposal of the state excise and prohibitions department which will pave the way for the retail sale of liquor in Jharkhand by private players. The ministerial council approved a new policy titled Jharkhand Excise (Settlement and Operation of Shops for Retail Sale of Liquor) Rules, 2025 to this effect. Wholesale liquor sales will be controlled by the state-run Jharkhand State Beverages Corporation Limited ( JSBCL ). Thursday's move is a shift from the arrangement which was in effect since 2019 whereby the JSBCL controlled retail liquor sales statewide. However, the arrangement was scrapped as it failed to meet revenue expectations. Talking to the media after the cabinet meeting, excise secretary Manoj Kumar said, "There were some implementation issues due to manpower crunch due to which the retail liquor shops will be privatised now. If all goes well, we hope to implement the new change within a month." On the issue of pricing, he added, "Of about 500 brands of India Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), there will be a marginal hike in prices in some about 300 odd brands. " Kumar said 1,443 shops statewide have been identified for privatisation in the initial phase. "One can take a maximum of 12 shops in one district and 36 across the state," he said. Reacting to new excise policy, BJP spokesperson Ajay Sahu said that it is aimed at another liquor scam in Jharkhand.
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Infrastructure gaps delay liquor service at Infopark Kochi despite Kerala's new permit rule
The Infopark Kochi campus is unlikely to serve liquor anytime soon, despite the Kerala government permitting it in government-controlled or owned Information Technology (IT) Parks, due to infrastructure shortcomings. Last week, the Kerala government notified the Foreign Liquor (5th Amendment) Rules, inserting a provision for the issuance of Foreign Liquor Information Technology Park Licence with an annual fee of ₹10 lakh to developers of IT parks. The beneficiaries include government-controlled/owned IT parks such as Techno Park, Info Park, Cyber Park, and parks operating on public-private partnership, such as SmartCity Kochi and Private Information Technology/Information Technology Enabled Services Parks. Only developers and not individual companies will be granted licences. Susanth Kurunthil, CEO of Infopark Kochi, told The Hindu that the campus has no land or separate building to spare to set up or operate licensed premises in either Infopark Phase I or Phase II in compliance with the licence provisions. 'We already have a long list of around 120 companies waiting for space on our campus. Our priority would be to set up IT buildings even if we were to find land,' he said. Among the 28 conditions set for the issuance of licence to developers is that 'the licensed premises should be a separate area inside the Information Technology Park premises, other than office space. The licensed room should have an independent entry and exit, other than the normal entry and exit of the connected organisation, of which the licensed premises may physically be a part.' Anish Panthalani, president of Progressive Techies, a combine of IT employees, agreed that space constraint was indeed an issue on the Infopark campus. 'Both the State government and Infopark Kochi have proposed a third phase for the IT park. The proposed licensed premises can be executed only if that materialises,' he said. Mr. Panthalani said serving liquor within the IT park premises will only 'improve' Kerala's profile as a preferred IT destination. 'Companies are facing difficulty in attracting quality hands here because of the limited avenues for leisure time activities, unlike in other IT destinations such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Noida. It also enables companies to host guests, including international clients, in a favourable ambience amongst like-minded social drinkers, since the facilities within the park would be inaccessible to the public,' he said. As per the notification, the licensed premises will be accessible 'only to the staff working in the Information Technology Parks and the official visitors/guests of the companies functioning in the Technology Park who shall have authorisation from the authority concerned in the Information Technology Park.'
The Hindu
26-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Andhra Pradesh Excise Department fixes bar licence fee for 3-star and above hotels at ₹5 lakh per annum
The Excise Department on Saturday issued a G.O. stipulating ₹5 lakh per annum as bar licence fee and ₹20 lakh per annum as non-refundable registration charge for 3-star and above hotels, irrespective of the population of the localities in which they exist. As per the order, no restriction had been imposed on the number of bar licences to be granted in the State in respect of 3-Star and above hotels, and the terms and conditions and restrictions in respect of bars as per Section 72 of the A.P. Excise Act-1968 and Sections 6 and 12 of the A.P. (Regulation of Trade in Indian Made Foreign Liquor and Foreign Liquor) Act, 1993, would be applicable to the bars established in 3-Star and above hotels. The order would come into force with effect from September 1, 2025. During the interim period, if any 3 -star and above category hotel applies for licence, it would be given as per the existing policy on payment of proportionate licence fee and non-refundable registration charge for the balance period ending August 31, 2025.
