Maharashtra: wine permitted to be sold in all supermarkets

In a big decision, the Maharashtra government on Thursday announced that wine will now be available in every supermarket in Maharashtra. Based on the new liquor policy, the sale of wine bottles will be permitted through grocery shops and departmental stores in the state. Earlier sale of wine was allowed only through liquor stores. The decision was taken by the state Cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray – and it immediately attracted flak from the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The MVA government defended the move by saying that it will benefit the fruit farmers who supply their produce to wineries for making wines, besides generating some revenue for the state exchequer.
The country’s fledgling wine industry is worth around Rs 1,000 crore with Maharashtra, a pioneering state in this sector, contributing nearly two-third to the revenue. Interestingly, the move comes a week after neighbouring Madhya Pradesh permitted liquor sales at all its airports, select supermarkets in four major cities and also allowed issuing home bar licenses to those earning Rs 1 crore or more annually.