The State Government in its excise policy for 2013-14 has reiterated to go for e-auction of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and country spirit shops to increase excise revenue.
The policy maintained that e-auction will be introduced for the out still (OS) shops from 2014-15.
According to the new guidelines announced on Saturday, all the existing IMFL ‘off shops’ will be settled by e-auction for 2013-14.
The existing IMFL ‘off shops’ will be granted extension of two months for April and May with a hike of 20 per cent in the consideration money to facilitate completion of e-auction as per the policy already approved by the State Cabinet. The same policy will be followed in case of country spirit shops.
If the cases of some IMFL shops remain unsettled though e-auction, they will be allowed to run by other government agencies and cooperative organisations with the licence fee fixed by the State Government.
Official sources maintained that this will open scope for Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) and other public sector undertakings (PSUs) of the State to go for lucrative liquor business.
For the first time, the State Government is going to introduce extra neutral alcohol (ENA) based cheap liquor in the State.
The excise duty, fee structure and other guidelines will be prescribed for it separately.
Unsettled OS shops will be given to Aska Cooperative Sugar Industries Ltd (ACSI), Odisha Small Scale Industries Corporation (OSIC), Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) and other State Government undertakings and cooperative organisations at the reserve price fixed by the Government if the same is not settled by the prescribed process during the year. However, they will have to operate these shops under their own management. They will not be allowed to sub-lease these shops under any circumstances.
The policy has also proposed to allow model wine shops attached to star hotels and luxury hotels, shopping malls and complexes with licence fee of ` one lakh only to sell wine and low strength liquor so as to boost the sale of these beverages.
The OS system, currently operational in 21 districts, will be renewed in 2013-14 with 20 per cent increase over the existing consideration money.
As per the new guidelines, licence fee for wholesale distribution has been hiked and the wholesale licence of Odisha State Beverages Corporation (OSBC) will be renewed for 2013-14 on payment of licence fee of Rs 100 crore. OSBC was earlier paying Rs 50 crore towards licence fee.
Licence fee for breweries and bottling fee have also been hiked for next fiscal. Excise duty on beer, India Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) has also been increased.