Citing losses, UP liquor sellers seek return of licence fee, threaten stir

The liquor sellers association in Uttar Pradesh (UP) have threatened to hold demonstration if the excise department didn’t waive off the licence fee that were charged from them despite the fact that the shops remained closed for more than 45 days due to covid-induced lockdown

The liquor sellers association in Uttar Pradesh (UP) have threatened to hold demonstration if the excise department didn’t waive off the licence fee that were charged from them despite the fact that the shops remained closed for more than 45 days due to covid-induced lockdown.

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The excise department is among the highest revenue earners for the state government raking in ₹780 million ( ₹78 crore) per day for the state round the year, say officials. In UP, more than 4 lakh people are directly associated with liquor business.

The government is yet to react to their demand. “No decision has been taken as yet,” an official said when asked if the government was aware of the liquor sellers’ demand.

“Apart from lockdown losses, even when the shops opened, they were opened in a phased manner. At the moment the government coffers have crores of rupees that were realised as licence fees. We want to have it returned but nothing has happened so far,” said Kanhaiyalal Maurya, the general secretary of Liquor Seller Welfare Association of UP.

Maurya said that more than ₹900 crore, realised as licence fee, have neither been returned nor accommodated as fees in the new session.

Shiv Kumar Jaiswal and Devesh Jaiswal, both functionaries of the liquor sellers’ association said they would give representation to chief minister Yogi Adityanath and excise minister Ram Naresh Agnihotri in this regard. “They will also wear black bands as a mark of protest against the government indecision,” they added.

This would be followed by a foot march of liquor sellers, they said.

“The growing number of thefts that took place at liquor shops during lockdown dealt a double blow to liquor trade,” the liquor sellers said.