March 27: For the first time, the UT Administration has reportedly allowed petrol pumps and shopping malls to sell imported wine, Indian wine and imported beer on their premises agains special retail vend license for Rs. 200,000 according to the latest liquor excise policy announced
In the excise policy for 2018-19, a new licence — Form L-2D (retail vend of imported wine, Indian wine and imported beer for consumption off the premises) has been introduced. An officer of the Department of Excise and Taxation said a fee of Rs 2 lakhs (Rs. 200,000) has been fixed for issuing the licence.
Under the policy, a shop or establishment registered under the Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017, the Punjab VAT Act, 2005, and the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958, in the Chandigarh UT in an approved commercial market, petrol pumps or a shop in a mall having a minimum covered area of 300 sq ft will be allowed to sell liquor. (It is not clear whether it is beer or wine only or liquor too which would be a mistake, according to delWine).
The department has imposed certain conditions for the sale of liquor at such places. There should be a separate area exclusively for the sale, storage and display of alcoholic products. There should be a systematic layout of alcoholic products on shelves, which can be accessed by walk-in consumers. The premises should be air-conditioned with quality flooring.
Besides, a computerised system for issuing cash memos should be available on the premises. Issuing invoice for every alcoholic sale has been made compulsory during the current budget for 2018-19. Commercial establishments having minimum sales of Rs 50 lakhs (Rs. 5 million) have also been allowed to sell liquor.
For the first time, the department has also made it mandatory for the retail sale licensee to provide an alternative option of payment to the customer, besides cash payment.
For some of the details released earlier, last week, please read the following Article:
Raising invoice on Sales may get Chandigarh Excise Rs. 96 Cr. more
Chandigarh might have become regressive in the recent past but it has been one of the more progressive cities from the point of wines, as you might see from the Article in delWine of 2007. Some of the things the Article above by the Tribune, claims to be for the first time, were allowed as you can see from the following Article:
Feature: Chandigarh - India's Most Progressive Wine City
Subhash Arora
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