Liquor ban would lead to smuggling, says UP Minister

While responding to the query raised by the UP State Legislative Assembly’s Member Swami Omvesh, the Minister of State for Excise of Uttar Pradesh, Nitin Agarwal said that liquor ban would lead to smuggling and revenue loss for the state exchequer.

During the question hour in the assembly, Omvesh asked if the state government planned to make Aadhaar Card mandatory for purchasing liquor. In response, Agarwal mentioned that as per the law, Aadhaar Card was intended to be a special identity for availing services funded by the consolidated fund of India. Making it mandatory for purchasing liquor goes against the legal provisions, he said.

The Minister added that the state government did not propose to prohibit liquor sales in the state. He also mentioned that there had been no reported deaths from spurious liquor during the second tenure of the Yogi Adityanath government.