In a significant move, the Maharashtra Government on Thursday allowed the sale of wine in supermarkets and walk-in-stores across the State, as part of the new wine policy aimed at benefitting the grape growers and wineries.
Invoking the concept of “Shelf-in-Shop” to give a boost to the grape growers in general and wine industry in particular, the Maharashtra Cabinet approved a proposal that would facilitate direct marketing of wine produced in vineries at the super markets walk-in stores across the state.
Briefing media persons after the Cabinet meeting, senior NCP Minister Nawab Malik said: “The decision taken by the state government will not only give a boost to the wine industry in the state, but it would also ensure remunerative price for their grape produce. Currently, the owners of vineyards in the state are not effectively marketing the wine produced in their vineries. Small wineries will benefit hugely by selling their wine directly at the supermarkets and walk-in-stores”.,
Malik said that supermarkets with a minimum area of 1,000 sq.ft or more shall be allowed to sell wines under the new policy unveiled last year after the earlier 20-year-old policy lapsed. “Under the decision, vineries will be allowed to sell wines kept in cool shelves each measuring 2.5 sq meter at supermarkets and walk-in stores. The licenced sellers will be charged a fees of Rs 5,000 per year,” he said.
Maharashtra has nearly 50 wineries, mostly located in the Nashik district which accounts for 80 percent of the wine production in India, besides small wineries in other districts like Ahmednagar, Sangli, Pune, Solapur and Buldhana.
The country’s wine industry is worth around Rs. 1,000-crore with Maharashtra, a pioneering state in this sector, contributing nearly two-thirds to the revenue.
Hitting out at the State government’s decision to sale of wine in super markets and walk-in-stores across the state, former chief minister and current Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis termed the move as an off-shoot of the ruling MVA dispensation’s “special love” for the liquor industry
“The Maharashtra government has liquor industry-friendly decisions like lifting the prohibition in Chandrapur, reducing excise duty on imported liquors from 300 percent to 150 percent.
We will not allow Maharashtra to become a ‘madya-rashtra’ with this,” Fadnavis aaid.On its part, the MVA government defended its decision saying the move would benefit the fruit growers.
