UP considers reducing liquor quota limit for homes

After making home license mandatory for possession of liquor above the permissible limit, the Uttar Pradesh exercise department is going to reduce the home stock limit. This is being considered in a bid to stop misuse of liquor in the name of private consumption, people involved with the development said.

Two weeks ago, the new excise policy approved by the state Cabinet made a license mandatory for stocking liquor above the prescribed limit at home. The policy also prescribed ₹12,000 as the annual licence fee plus ₹51,000 security deposit.

Talking about the maximum limit for home stock, excise commissioner P Guruprasad said, “There is already a 2010 notification that prescribes the retail purchase limit of liquor by individuals.”

But that notification was on clear on whether stocking beyond the prescribed limit was an offence or not. As such, action taken on people caught with extra stash was arbitrary. In some cases, people were reportedly given the benefit of the doubt while in others, they were reportedly harassed and punished.

According to the 2010 notification, there are different limits for each category of liquor that can be stocked at home. (See graphic)

“The new policy is clear that keeping liquor beyond the permissible limit is an offence, unless one has a valid license,” he said.

According to Guruprasad, it is being felt that the present maximum permissible limit for home possession of liquor is on the higher side. “Currently, one can stock a total of around 26 litres of liquor of different brands at home at one time and this is being considered to be unreasonable,” he said.

He said there was a proposal to reduce the current home stock limit so that private buyers cannot misuse the provision. He was, however, not forthcoming on what the new maximum home possession limit could be.