Maharashtra’s intended reprieve for hotels, bars and restaurants

In response to a request from a hospitality association, the excise department of Maharashtra has allowed establishments in the state having FL3 licences to sell their stocks of perishable imported beer and wine to retail wine shops in the state of Maharashtra. The order was issued by the Principal Secretary (Excise), Valsa Nair Singh. This initiative can act as a reprieve for Maharashtra’s hospitality sector.

However, there is a rider involved. The said establishments need to have special transport passes from local authorities for completing these transactions. In the continuing lockdown, hotels, bars and restaurants are not permitted to sell liquor for consumption even to valid permit holders, on their premises. This order will remain in force until the lockdown ends or until the stocks last.

Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, the President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI), expressed resentment over this order. He argued that why would wine shops be interested to buy beer and wine from hotels, restaurants and bars when they did have more alcoholic beverages sales than the hotels, restaurants and bars under the present scenario.

He also added that the hotels, restaurants and bars operating in Maharashtra would have to sell their imported beer and wine stocks to wine shops in the state at MRP or less.