Ladakh eases excise guidelines, expands arduous liquor gross sales to spice up tourism | India Information
3 min learnSrinagarJun 1, 2026 10:39 PM IST
In an overhaul of its excise regime, the Ladakh administration has authorised a liberalised liquor coverage permitting the retail sale of arduous liquor and increasing liquor shops within the area from 2 to twenty. Lieutenant Governor V Ok Saxena authorised the coverage stating that the reforms are meant to cut back dependence on narcotic substances, strengthen regulation and help tourism-led financial exercise.
The LG has argued that the coverage primarily goals at curbing the rising dependence on narcotics and medicines and giving folks, “a wider alternative of low alcoholic content material liquor” within the Ladakh area. The coverage additionally seeks to optimise excise income in a clear, accountable and controlled method.
The Ladakh administration has additionally argued that the present “restrictive regime”, which had resulted in restricted availability of manufacturers and shops, created an “synthetic shortage” that usually deterred the vacationers visiting Ladakh. This, the administration says, typically prompted vacationers to hold liquor with them, from exterior the Ladakh area, additionally inflicting income loss to the UT.
Highlighting the brand new coverage as a “important reform” within the excise regime of the UT, the administration has acknowledged that the brand new coverage comes after intensive conferences with civil society organisations, NGOs, non secular organisations, public representatives and authorities officers, in latest months.
“One of many main issues raised in these conferences, was the growing dependence on narcotic substances and psychotropic medicine, significantly because of the unavailability of arduous liquor in Ladakh, prompting people to resort to unlawful narcotic substances and smuggled and spurious liquor,” Ladakh’s Lok Niwas stated in a press release.
Representatives of Ladakh Gompa Affiliation and medical specialists had additionally prompt increasing the liquor vary at authorised vends, “to beat the rising menace of drug abuse”. Paying attention to the solutions, LG Saxena had assured to assessment the present excise coverage.
A committee of officers was constituted to draft a revised Excise Coverage and that examined the features regarding public comfort, prevention of illicit liquor commerce, its societal influence, augmentation of excise income amongst different issues.
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The coverage underscores rationalised obligation for liquor, beer and wine; permission for “retail vends in guesthouses and homesteads together with availability in areas corresponding to Nubra, Changthang, Sham and Zanskar. Earlier, liquor was solely accessible in Leh metropolis.
Moreover, the requirement of the “Opinion” of District Administration for grant of licence is now eliminated. With a view to optimise excise income, the annual price for wholesale license has been elevated from current Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. Base value for retail vends has been revised. The bottom value In Leh municipal wards has been mounted at Rs 60 lakh, whereas in different areas, it has been mounted at Rs 30 lakh.
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