Haryana approves new liquor policy: No shops in villages, highways
What's the story
The Haryana government has unveiled a new Excise Policy for 2025-27.
The new rules ban liquor sub-vends in villages with a population of 500 or fewer.
It also has stricter guidelines on how liquor can be advertised and mandates that no liquor shop/theka should be directly visible from state and national highways.
These changes address public concerns about easy access to alcohol in rural areas and on highways.
Penalties
Strict penalties for policy violations
The new policy prescribes strict penalties for violations.
A liquor shop found violating the rule will be fined ₹1 lakh for the first violation, ₹2 lakh for the second, and ₹3 lakh for the third.
If the shop in question continues to violate rules beyond these fines, its license will be canceled completely.
Rural restrictions
Restricting liquor accessibility in rural areas
Since the revised Excise Policy bans liquor sub-vends in villages having a population of 500 or less, around 152 shops across over 700 villages will also be closed.
Under the new policy, the minimum distance of liquor shops from schools, colleges, bus stands, and religious places has been increased from 75 meters to 150 meters.
Furthermore, the number of liquor shops will remain at 2,400 in 1,200 zones, but with stricter conditions on where they can be located.
Ahata regulations
Ahatas face new fee structure and space requirement
The new policy also brings in a percentage-based fee structure for Ahatas (places where people can sit and drink).
Shop owners will now have to pay a percentage of their license fee depending on the district. In Gurugram, it will be 4%, while in Faridabad, Sonipat, and Panchkula, it will be 3%. For all other districts, it is fixed at 1%.
An Ahata will also now have to have at least 1,000 square meters of space.