Buying liquor in Haryana is going to get tougher as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has approved a new Excise Policy for 2025-2027. The current policy will be enforced for a period of 21.5 months from June 12, 2025 to March 31, 2027. During the end, the future policy will be aligned with the April-March financial year.
Haryana Excise Policy key takeaways: What changes?
1. As per the new rules, overseen by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini during the Cabinet meeting, no village in the state with population of 500 or less is permitted to have a liquor sub-vend (smaller or secondary liquor shops).
The measure to not permit liquor sub-vends in villages with 500 or less population is aimed at promoting responsible retailing of liquor and addressing public sensitivities in small villages.
2. As many as 152 sub-vends will shut across the state as the new Excise Policy comes into effect from June 12.
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3. Vends in urban areas shall not be permitted to open after 4 am, as against the earlier provision of 8 am, the statement said.
4. The new policy requires all licensed retail vends and sub-vends to clearly display the warnings “Consumption of Alcohol is Injurious to Health” and “Do Not Drink and Drive” on their signboards.
5. Haryana has also introduced restrictions on liquor advertisement in the new Excise Policy. No advertisement, even if put up in licensed zones in Haryana, will be allowed.
Penalty on violations: If any of the new rules are violated, a penalty of ₹1 lakh will be imposed. For a second offence, the fine will increase to ₹3 lakh. For the third violence, ₹3 lakh will be imposed.
If a violator continues to not follow the new rules, it will be treated as a major breach, attracting proceedings for cancellation of allotted zone.
6. The guidelines for operation of taverns (L-52) have been further tightened. Taverns shall operate only from enclosed premises approved by the department and should not be visible to passersby.
7. The policy bans live singing, dancing, and theatrical performances in taverns to promote a controlled and responsible drinking atmosphere.
8. The procedure for getting temporary licences for events (L-12A and L-12A-C) has been simplified.
9. In unregistered commercial venues such as banquet halls, higher licence fees will be charged for one-day licence, especially in urban areas like Gurugram, Faridabad, and Panchkula. This step aims to encourage registration while ensuring better monitoring, an official statement said.