Noida to get 239 composite shops as new liquor policy kicks in

The Uttar Pradesh excise department has called for 239 applications for composite liquor vends in Noida for the next fiscal year with the new liquor policy poised to rest the retail business in the state, reported Ashni Dhaor of TOI.

The new policy has introduced composite shops, in which beer and IMFL will be sold together.

The city has 146 IMFL shops, 140 beer shops, 234 country liquor shops, 29 premium liquor vends and 27 model shops currently.


Beer and IMFL shops will be merged into composite liquor shops, for which e-lottery applications have been invited.
While model shops will remain as they are, country liquor shops have been given an option to upgrade by adding a beer counter.

Fresh applications for liquor business have been invited in the city for the first time in six years. opening the doors for new players to enter the market. Existing licences were renewed in the last six years.

The licences of the existing shops are to end on March 31.

The total number of liquor shops have been reduced from 353 to 501 under the new policy. Besides 239 composite liquor vends, the district will have 234 country liquor shops, 27 model shops and one bhang shop.

"The allotment process for 501 liquor shops began on Feb 14. Applications will be accepted from Feb 17 to 27, and the first phase of the e-lottery will be drawn on March 6," district excise officer Subodh Kumar Srivastava told TOI. Additionally, the department will also renew licences for the 29 premium liquor vends in the city.

The new policy has increased the application fees significantly. In some cases, it has been doubled compared to the previous years. The fees range from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh and are non-refundable.

The application fees for country liquor shops range from Rs 40,000 to Rs 65,000, for composite shops it ranges from Rs 55,000 to Rs 90,000, and Rs 60,000 to Rs 1 lakh for model shops.

In comparison, the previous year's fees ranged from Rs 35,000 to Rs 60,000. The revised application fees are expected to generate substantial revenue for the excise department.

"This time, the application fee has been increased so that only those who are genuinely interested in the business participate. Applications for shops can be made between Feb 17 and 27, and only two shops will be allotted per person across the state," Srivastava said.

The officer said locations of liquor shops may also change once the new licences are issued.