Special state cabinet meeting approves total ban on liquor sale in 19 holy cities, towns in Madhya Pradesh

According to sources, the closure of more than 45 liquor vends in these 19 religious cities and towns will result in a revenue loss of approximately Rs 450 crore for the state exchequer.
Image used for representation purposes only.
Image used for representation purposes only.(Photo | Express Illustrations)
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BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav chaired a special state cabinet meeting in the riverside religious town of Maheshwar, located in southwest MP’s Khargone district, on Friday.

Maheshwar town, the principal seat of the Holkar dynasty since the reign of the illustrious Queen Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, hosted the meeting as part of the ongoing celebrations marking the 300th birth anniversary of the legendary Rajmata of the Holkar royal family.

Taking the first step towards total liquor prohibition in the state, the cabinet meeting decided to impose a total ban on all kinds of liquor in 19 religious cities and towns of the state.

“We aim to gradually move towards Sharab Bandi (total liquor prohibition) in the state. As a first step, the policy decision to close all liquor shops in our religious cities and towns has been taken at the special cabinet meeting today. Liquor shops of all kinds will be shut down in these religious cities and towns. They will be closed permanently and not shifted elsewhere,” CM Dr Mohan Yadav said while briefing about the decisions of the special cabinet meeting.

“We will also continue with the existing policy of prohibiting liquor within a five km radius on either side of the Narmada river across the state. As I said, today’s decision to ban liquor in the religious cities and towns of Madhya Pradesh will mark the first phase of gradually progressing towards a total liquor ban in the state,” Yadav added.

The 19 religious cities, towns, and large villages where the liquor ban will come into effect from the next financial year (April 1, 2025) include one municipal corporation (Ujjain), six Nagar Palikas, six Nagar Parishads, and six large Gram Panchayats.

Other prominent religious cities and towns where the ban on liquor vends will take effect from April 1 include Mandsaur, Panna, Multai, Datia, Chitrakoot, Mandelshwar, Maheshwar, Omkareshwar, Orchha, Amarkantak, Salkanpur, Mandla, Maihar, Barman (Narsinghpur), Kundalpur, and Bandakpur (Damoh district).

According to sources, the closure of more than 45 liquor vends in these 19 religious cities and towns will result in a revenue loss of approximately Rs 450 crore for the state exchequer.

Sources also noted that around 12-15 per cent of the state’s non-tax revenue is generated from alcohol sales. The excise department’s revenue in 2023 reportedly stood at Rs 13,590 crore, which was about 5 per cent higher than the Rs 13,005 crore recorded in 2022.

Although total prohibition has remained a distant dream in the state for decades, it has been a key political issue for more than 30 years.

In the 1990s, the Congress regime led by Digvijaya Singh introduced a policy allowing the removal or relocation of liquor vends if more than 50 per cent of women in an area demanded it. However, the policy was not implemented effectively.

When the BJP returned to power after a decade of Congress rule in 2003, then CM Uma Bharti introduced a policy to prohibit liquor in select areas, but the policy was discontinued after she stepped down as CM in August 2004.

In recent years, Bharti has been actively campaigning with women for total prohibition in the state. On Thursday, she became the first prominent BJP leader to welcome CM Dr Mohan Yadav’s announcement of banning liquor shops in religious cities and towns.

In 2016, under pressure to impose a total liquor ban after Bihar became a dry state, then MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the closure of 58 liquor shops within a five km radius of the Narmada river during his Narmada Seva Yatra.

Responding to the cabinet meeting’s approval of the proposal to ban liquor sales in religious cities and towns, Leader of the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha and four-time Congress MLA Umang Singhar criticised the move.

“What’s the use of such a ban when people can still buy liquor outside the municipal limits of these religious towns and cities? Why isn’t liquor sales being banned in the entire district housing these religious places? Instead, what is needed is a statewide liquor ban implemented all at once,” Singhar said.

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