The sale of beer was badly affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Representational)
Lucknow:
The prices of beer will be reduced, while that of English and country-made liquor will be hiked in Uttar Pradesh from April 1.
While buying beer will get cheaper by Rs 20 in the state, the price of different brands of English liquor will see a rise by 15 to 20 per cent.
There is no change in the excise duty and license fee of beer, but its prices are being reduced to increase the consumption of beer in Uttar Pradesh.
The sale of beer was badly affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sale at beer shops from April 2020 to November 2020 has been only 17.28 crore bottles in the state against 27.08 crore bottles last year, which is approximately 36 per cent less.
Therefore, the government has decided not to change the annual license fee of retail shops of beer.
As per the Excise Policy for the year 2020-21, the maximum retail price (MRP) of beer is higher than neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh like Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. The price of beer is also higher than those states which are prone to smuggling. Additionally, the yield charge on beer is higher than that of foreign wines, depending on the alcohol content.
The increase in license fees by seven and a half per cent is the main reason behind this increase in the prices of domestic and English liquor from April 1.