Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: In a significant move, the Gujarat Government has eased its stringent liquor laws in an apparent bid to attract national and international firms to Gujarat government’s ambitious GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance TecCity) in Gandhinagar.
GIFT City is hailed as India’s first greenfield smart city and International Financial Services Centre or IFSC being developed in the line of Singapore and Dubai.
The Bhupendra Patel-led BJP government announced relaxation in liquor prohibition laws for establishing “wine and dine” facilities at GIFT City area for creating a “global business ecosystem” for investors, technical experts, national and international firms.
The Government said employees and their owners at GIFT city will be given liquor access permits who can consume alcohol at hotels/ restaurants/clubs offering “Wine and Dine” in GIFT City, according to a press release.
Also, the Government has allowed authorised visitors of each company to consume liquor in such places with temporary permits in the presence of permanent employees of the company.
According to the notification, “hotels/restaurants/clubs located or coming to GIFT City can obtain a wine and dine facility which is FL3 license.” It said that employees and visitors can consume liquor in such hotels or restaurants but can’t buy bottles from there.
Gujarat has been practicing complete liquor prohibition since its formation in 1960. In 2017, the Government made the liquor law more stringent with punishment of up to 10 years for manufacturing, purchasing, selling or transporting liquor along with a fine of Rs 5 lakh. Earlier, the punishment was for three years.
While the laws became stringent for the locals, the Government has been relaxing the law for outsiders in order to promote tourism and business. A visitor, barring from dry states, can obtain liquor permits from authorised stores on the basis of his or her travel tickets. A domicile Gujarati can get liquor permit only on health grounds, provided he or she is above 40.
