Gujaratis have a penchant for drinking; that is what the government believes as it works hard to curb the so-called ‘menace’, busting hooch dens and seizing IMFL smuggled into its borders.
Despite being a dry state since 1960s, the government of late is on a mission to curb its citizens’ drinking habits, especially the ones who hold health-based liquor permits. These permits are issued to citizens over the age of 40 and a small percentage of the state’s population (around 70,000) hold them.
According to a government press note, the state has increased the ‘Health Permit Process Fee’ from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 and imposed a ‘Health Check-up’ fee of Rs 2,000. This is a spike of around 600 percent as it had only cost Rs 550 earlier to apply for a fresh health-based liquor permit.
This doesn’t leave alcohol afficandos with much alternatives – either source your poison from a bootlegger or bring a couple of bottles each time you fly back to the state.
“Every day is a dry day in Gujarat, or it seems that is what the government wishes for the average Gujarati.”Permit holder under anonymity
New Rules Heavy on Pockets
The Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja informed the state Assembly on Wednesday about the new rules. He stated that the new rules function as an auxiliary to the stricter anti-prohibition laws introduced last year.
“We introduced the new rules to curb malpractices at the lower level. The new rules will ensure that no one gets a permit issued wrongfully or misuses it.”Pradeepsinh Jadeja, Minister of State for Home
Earlier 26 medical boards across the state accepted applicants over the age of 40. This has been brought down to six medical boards located at Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Surat, Gandhinagar and Vadodara.
According to The Indian Express each of the six medical boards will have a Regional Deputy Director (Prohibition & Excise Department), a medical superintendent and a full-time Head of Department of Medicine of a medical college.
The government has also cancelled the provision under which health certificates issued by private doctors to obtain liquor permits were valid.
One of the permit holders who is awaiting renewal of his permit expressed his frustrations against the government diktat.
“It’s like they want us to get caught buying alcohol from a bootlegger. Not that the alcohol we buy in black is of high quality. It is diluted and overpriced and I have to drink it neat just to get some semblance of a high.”A permit holder, under anonymity
Business Down the Abyss
Alcohol was the first target of the incumbent BJP before elections last year. The government has not relented on its anti-booze drive which has resulted in poor business.
The Quint spoke to Narendra Somani, President of Hotel and Restaurant Federation Gujarat who said, “Business has been down ever since the renewal of permits was stalled by the government. Thus, a higher fee on the health permit cannot further affect our business negatively, as our turnover is just 40 percent. Yes, the higher fee will make life difficult for senior citizens and pensioners who wish to apply for a health-based liquor permit.”
When asked whether the federation has made any representation before the government to restart the permit renewal process, Somani said, “You see, the average buyer today is avoiding the bootlegger because neither does he want to get caught by cops nor does he want spurious liquor. It is the permit holder, the consumer who has to approach the government and ask them restart the renewal process.”
“We are the business-end of the supply chain, not the consumer. And the consumer will never approach the government because the government will simply tell them to stop drinking all together. They had even tried to stall renewal of permits for ex-military men, but those guys fought back and got their due.”Narendra Somani, President of Hotel and Restaurant Federation Gujarat
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