Buy one, get one free: Why liquor stores in UP are offering big discounts

Alcohol vendors in Uttar Pradesh are trying to finish inventory before the new excise policy comes into effect on April 1: Details here

Liquor stores across Uttar Pradesh are witnessing a surge in demand as retailers offer heavy discounts to clear existing stock before the state’s new excise policy takes effect on April 1. With offers like “Buy One, Get One Free”, large crowds have gathered at stores in cities such as Noida and Lucknow.

 

Social media is flooded with images and videos of posters advertising steep discounts outside liquor shops, prompting an overwhelming response from customers. Shop owners fear financial losses, as the new excise policy mandates that unsold inventory must be cleared by 31 March, failing which it will have to be destroyed.

 

 

Advocate Rohit Jaiswal, representing the Liquor Association, told ABP News that traders had filed a petition against the government, requesting that remaining stock be taken back. However, the state government has yet to respond with any directive. 

एक बोतल पर एक बोतल दारू फ्री –  उत्तर प्रदेश के शराब ठेके वालों को 31 मार्च की रात 12 बजे तक सारा स्टॉक खत्म करना है। वरना बची हुई दारू सरकारी खाते में जमा हो जाएगी और उसकी बिक्री नहीं हो पाएगी। इसलिए ठेके वाले ग्राहकों को खूब ऑफर दे रहे हैं। Video नोएडा की है। pic.twitter.com/hCLD9sxleu

— Sachin Gupta (@SachinGuptaUP) March 25, 2025

 

What is UP’s new excise policy?

The Yogi Adityanath-led government approved the new excise policy in February, bringing major reforms to the state’s liquor trade. The new policy will be implemented from 1 April.

 

Under the new rules, an e-lottery system will replace the existing licence renewal method. This move is set to introduce new vendors, effectively ending the tenure of many current licence holders.

 

In Noida, the number of liquor shops will drop from 535 to 501, comprising 239 composite shops, 234 country liquor outlets, 27 model shops, and one bhang outlet.

 

Further, beer, Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL), and wine will be sold from a single unit instead of separate outlets. Several standalone beer and IMFL stores will be merged under this system.

 

The premium liquor segment will now offer 60ml and 90ml bottle sizes, while all country liquor will be sold in aseptic brick packs to reduce adulteration and improve safety.

 

The Minimum Guarantee Quota (MGQ) for country liquor has been increased by 10 per cent, and the licence fee per bulk litre has been revised from ₹254 to ₹260.

 

AAP slams BJP over liquor sale practices

The frenzied rush at liquor stores has led to a political faceoff. Drawing parallels with Delhi’s 2022 excise policy episode, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the BJP of hypocrisy.

 

Senior AAP leader and Delhi MLA Atishi questioned whether the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) would investigate the heavy discounting in Uttar Pradesh, as they did in Delhi.

 

“I want to ask the BJP: Is it trying to make people in UP and neighbouring states alcoholics? Is Yogi ji implementing ‘Buy One, Get One Free’ with BJP’s approval? If not, will BJP protest on the streets?” she said at a press conference.

 

Atishi also pointed out the alleged double standards, stating, “BJP called ‘Buy One, Get One Free’ a scam in Delhi. So, when will the CBI and ED raid Yogi Adityanath’s office?”

 

AAP announces protests across UP

AAP on Thursday announced statewide protests on 29 March, accusing the BJP of hypocrisy over its liquor policies. Senior leader Sanjay Singh said that while Delhi’s excise policy faced central agency probes, there has been no such scrutiny in Uttar Pradesh.

 

“In Delhi, we stopped such practices and were accused of corruption. But in UP, the BJP government is openly enabling free liquor, and no one questions it,” Singh said. 

(With agency inputs)