Guwahati: In order to stop people from consuming spurious liquor that too from black market, the BJP government in Assam has decided to increase the daily business hours and reduce the number of dry days for wine shops.
The move is also aimed at to generate Rs 400 crore additional revenue annually from the sale of liquor. Official sources said that, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has set the target for excise revenue collection at Rs 1,800 crore for 2016-17.
Assam excise minister Parimal Suklabaidya said, “We have not taken this decision solely for revenue. The prime driving factor behind this move is public health.”
Timings of the wine shops, currently operating from 2 pm to 10 pm, has been extended to 11am to 10 pm now. The number of dry days in a year has also been reduced from 28 days to four days.
