MADHYA PRADESH GOVERNMENT PASSES NEW LIQUOR POLICY
The State Cabinet of MP recently approved a New Liquor policy.
According to the policy, the areas for drinking alcohol will be closed. These are areas that are usually attached to bars.
The new policy is called the “NEW EXCISE POLICY”. The policy was launched after the BJP leader Uma Bharati’s demand.
Contents
• Significance
• Important key points of the policy
Significance
In Madhya Pradesh, there are liquor shops within 50 meters of girls’ hostels and religious places. The policy will also make strict actions against drunk and driving cases.
Important key points of the policy:
• All ahatas (area attached to a liquor shop for people to drink) and shop bars are being shut in the state. From here on, liquor will be sold at the shops and places of drinking will not be allowed.
• The distance of liquor shops from educational institutions, girls’ hostels and religious places is being increased from 50 meters to 100 meters.
• Laws to cancel the driving licenses in cases of drunk driving will be made more stringent.
• According to sources, the new excise policy will come into effect from April 1, although no official announcement has been made regarding the date so far.
TRIVIA:
Madhya Pradesh (meaning ‘central province’) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Gwalior, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Dewas, Sagar, Satna, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the second largest Indian state by area and the fifth largest state by population with over 72 million residents. It borders the states of Uttar Pradesh to the northeast, Chhattisgarh to the east, Maharashtra to the south, Gujarat to the west, and Rajasthan to the northwest.
The economy of Madhya Pradesh is the 10th-largest in India, with a gross state domestic product (GSDP) of ₹9.17 trillion (US$110 billion) and has the country’s 26th highest per-capita income of ₹ 109372. Madhya Pradesh ranks 23rd among Indian states in human development index. Rich in mineral resources, Madhya Pradesh has the largest reserves of diamond and copper in India. 25.14% of its area is under forest cover. Its tourism industry has seen considerable growth, with the state topping the National Tourism Awards in 2010–11. In recent years, the state’s GDP growth has been above the national average. In 2019–20, state’s GSDP was recorded at 9.07.