Clarifying the rules of buying liquor from shops, small retailers an excise officials said liberalising the sale of wine by allowing it to be sold from smaller retailers (with areas 100 sq metres and above) does not mean that the buyer doesn’t need a drinking permit.
Buyers not having a drinking permit will have to buy a daily permit of Rs 5 from the shop before carrying it home, said excise officials.
For those consumers who have already taken annual or lifetime drinking permit from excise department, won’t have to worry. For this daily permit will have to be kept and issued by shops to buyers without fail while selling bottles.
Mild beer is the only liquor that does not require drinking permit and those with 21 years of age and above can consume it.
However, for all other forms of liquor the drinking permit is required which can be obtained by those with 25 years of age and above. In a move to provide for a larger domestic market for wine producers and grape farmers state has allowed walk-in stores and supermarkets of over 100 square metres to sell wine. To do this shops need a wine sale license costing Rs 5000 a year.
