Adityanath govt allows setting up of micro breweries for tourism, jobs

Annual license fee for micro breweries hiked from Rs 25,000 fixed in 1974 to Rs 2.5 lakh along with renewal fee; production capped at 600 litres a day, 210,000 litres a year

In order to boost tourism and create fresh employment opportunities in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government gave its nod on Tuesday for setting up of micro breweries in hotels, pubs and resorts.

A micro brewery is a small unit that produces limited quantities of beer for captive consumption, and is found mostly in establishments such as hotels and restaurants located in tourist hotspots.

The state cabinet meeting chaired by the CM cleared the proposal of amending the UP Brewery Rules 1961 with UP Brewery (6th Amendment) 2019 to incorporate relevant changes to facilitate the setting up of micro breweries.

Several states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Haryana, Delhi, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh already have the provision of micro breweries in major cities/towns.

However, the state has increased the annual license fee for micro breweries from Rs 25,000, fixed in 1974, to Rs 2.5 lakh and has also hiked the renewal fee. Besides, Rs one lakh would be deposited as guarantee amount, so that only serious players enter the fray.

Current holders of licenses for hotel, resort, restaurant and commercial clubs are eligible to apply for micro brewery with the state excise commissioner through the respective district magistrate offices. The excise commissioner could permit micro breweries based on the recommendation of the district magistrate.

Each micro brewery would be allowed to produce only 600 litres of beer a day and taking 350 as average number of working days annually, 210,000 litres of beer could be produced each year, UP energy minister and state government spokesperson Shrikant Sharma said here this afternoon.

There is a penalty of Rs 5,000 per day for violation of micro brewery rules.

Since Noida, Agra, Varanasi and Lucknow get high footfalls of domestic and international tourists, the state government feels micro breweries would not only provide a quality option of fresh beer to consumers, but also create new job opportunities and boost excise revenue.

Meanwhile, the cabinet decided to increase old-age pension for those in the 60-79 age bracket by 25 per cent from Rs 400 per month to Rs 500 per month. Of this Rs 500 per month, the central government would contribute Rs 200. For people above 80 years, the Centre reimburses cent percent old-age pension of Rs 500 per month, Sharma further informed.

Besides, the government has allowed the dismantling of old and dilapidated buildings on the land transferred in Rae Bareli for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The district magistrate had identified a total of 76 run-down buildings for demolition on the land transferred to the central government for AIIMS, which is already operational.

The state had transferred 98 acres for AIIMS on July 27, 2013 during the Akhilesh Yadav regime (2012-17).