Liquor to be dearer from April in Himachal

Both country liquor and India made foreign liquor will cost more in Himachal Pradesh from April 1 as the government has proposed an increase of Rs 11 and Rs 26 per proof litre in excise duty respectively.
The excise duty on IMFL would go up from Rs 184 to Rs 210 per PL while the bar licence fee would be increased by 10 to 15 per cent.
The quota of country liquor and IMFL would also be increased by 15 to 20 per cent.
The government expects a revenue of Rs 1,005 crore during 2013-14 as compared to Rs 800 crore during the current financial year, an increase of over Rs 205 crore, which is 18.7 per cent.

However, the government decided to reduce the import duty on "extra neutral alcohol" from Rs 2.50 per cent to Rs 1.50 per proof litre to provide competitive play filed to importers.
The new excise policy also provides for installation of CCTVs in all the breweries and bottling plants to check leakages.
There are 22 bottling plants and 55 wholesalers in the state.
The discretionary powers of the District Excise and Taxation Officers to enhance the quota of liquor have also been withdrawn to ensure transparency.