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In a move to promote costly branded liquor, the Uttar Pradesh government has allowed certain categories of India-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) to be sold at shops in mall of the state.
The state cabinet approved the UP Excise (Settlement of Licenses for Premium Retail Vends of Foreign Liquor) Rules, 2020 late on Friday night, paving the way for sale of certain categories of liquors in malls.
Principal Secretary (Excise) Sanjay R. Bhoosreddy said on Saturday that so far IMFL was being sold in retail liquor vends and model shops and there was no provision for sale of IMFL in shopping malls.
“Licences in form F.L-4-C will be granted for retail sale of IMFL in sealed bottles in malls and these will be in addition to the existing  liquor vends,” he said.
Bhoosreddy said that the rules provide that licences can be obtained by any eligible person, company, partnership firm, proprietary firm or society. The mall housing such vends should have a minimum plinth area of 10,000 square feet and must have departmental stores, super markets or hybrid hyper markets.
The principal secretary said that premium retail vend should have at least 500 square feet carpet area and provide customers the facility to walk in and select his/her choice of brand from shelves. The shop has to be air-conditioned and decorated with shelves so that various brands could be displayed.
Bhoosreddy further said that premium retail vend could sell only those categories of IMFL that are authorised by the excise commissioner. Consumption of alcohol on the premises will not be permitted. The vend can sell only imported foreign liquor brands (BIO), IMFL brands of scotch or above category, all categories of brandy, gin and wine and brands of Vodka and rum with MRP of more than Rs 700 and above, and brands of beer with MRP of more than Rs.160 per can of 500 ml or equivalent.
He said that keeping in view the increasing trend of shopping in malls; rules have been framed allowing the sale of premium brands of liquor in malls.
Though shopping mall did not exist in 2000, the proposal for sale of liquor by grocery stores was first mooted during the regime of previous BJP government headed by Rajnath Singh. The idea was part of the new excise policy formulated by the then government but its soon kicked up controversy forcing the government to shelve the idea.