The Jharkhand government is set to stop selling alcohol through state-run outlets. Starting March 1, private vendors will take over the retail sale of alcohol. The state’s own company, Jharkhand Beverage Corporation Limited (JSBCL), will only handle the wholesale distribution of alcohol, not retail sales. As per the new Excise Policy, the government will invite applications and conduct a lottery to allocate liquor stores to private vendors.
The new policy also includes selling alcohol in other places such as departmental stores and malls. Departmental stores with a minimum area of 2,000 square feet can sell alcohol in up to 10% of the store’s space. Additionally, malls with at least 50,000 square feet of space will have alcohol stores in designated areas of at least 200 square feet. The policy also introduces model liquor shops and mandates popular alcohol brands at all stores.
Along with privatizing retail sales, the new policy will increase alcohol prices by ₹5 to ₹100 depending on the price range. For example, alcohol priced between ₹1 and ₹90 will see a ₹5 increase, while more expensive alcohol will increase by ₹10, ₹50, or ₹100 based on the price.
