Posters advising against carrying liquor from other states to UP have been put up near the borders and policemen are making announcements through portable PA systems to deter discount hunters. Some stores in Delhi were also offering ‘buy one, get one free’ offer, which did not go down well with liquor merchants in NCR.
They are complaining of loss in business to the Excise Department. “People are informed that importing liquor illegally from other states is a punishable offense in UP. Violators will be booked under the UP Excise Act and sent to jail,” a notice put up in Noida.
The data shared by the UP Excise Department shows a significant difference in the selling price of branded liquor in Delhi and UP. For example, 100 Pipers exceptionally mixed malt scotch whiskey (750 ml) costs Rs 2,200 in UP but Rs 1,970 in Delhi. Similarly, in UP, 8PM Premium Black Superior Whiskey (750 ml) costs Rs 670, while in Delhi it can be bought for Rs 510.
Mahendra Singh, Excise Commissioner Meerut RegionSaid that this is having a significant impact on the excise revenue of UP. “Noida and Ghaziabad share border with Delhi and people travel freely between the cities and Delhi. The Delhi government has reduced the excise duty and people are also getting a bottle free of cost if they buy a bottle there,” Singh told TOI on Wednesday.
The Excise Department has decided to launch a campaign to implement the One Bottle Rule. The Excise Commissioner said that only one liter of liquor can be brought to UP from Delhi or any other state. “This 1 liter of liquor is allowed for personal consumption only in UP. But the bottle must be closed. If the bottle is sealed then the excise department will take action.
For border checks, the Excise Department has shifted its manpower from Meerut zone to Noida and Ghaziabad. “Our officers are making public announcements and also putting up posters and banners in the UP-Delhi border areas. Mobile teams are conducting inspections,” Singh said.
The commissioner held a meeting with Delhi excise officials on Wednesday and expressed concern about the exemption. “The Delhi authorities said that they will ensure that the shops do not sell liquor beyond the permissible limit,” he said.
Gautam Budh Nagar Excise Officer RB Singh said that enforcement operations are being conducted in Sector 14A, Chilla Border, Kondli, Ashok Nagar, Jhundpura etc.
“On May 13, we also caught a truck in Greater Noida, which was carrying 600 cartons of illicit liquor,” he said. Ghaziabad Excise Officer RK Singh said a similar enforcement operation is underway in Ghaziabad as well.
Varun Khera, head of the Noida chapter of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), said, “There is always a mismatch between the prices of liquor in Delhi, Noida and Gurugram. We feel that the state governments should formulate a one product policy for all NCR cities to make liquor prices uniform.
The Gautam Budh Nagar Excise Department collected Rs 1,346 crore in revenue in 2021-22. Ghaziabad collected Rs 1,474 crore in revenue.