Express News Service
MUMBAI: Maharashtra cabinet on Thursday approved the decision of allowing supermarkets and shops to sell wine directly to the consumers.
In view of boosting the wine industry and supporting grapes growing farmers, the Maharashtra cabinet on Thursday approved the decision of allowing supermarkets and shops to sell wine. “Once the wine industry grows, then automatically, it will help the farmers to get good return to their crops. Marketing of this industry will be also done. In Maharashtra, presently wine has been produced using grapes, fruits, flowers, banana and honey,” reads the note.
It further added that most of the winery in Maharashtra is successful in production of wine, but lack marketing. “This decision of allowing supermarkets and shops to sell wine will boost their sales. It will not only help the wineries but farmers as well. In supermarkets, the sealed bottles of wine will be sold directly to consumers. The government will issue the FL and AXC license to supermarkets and shops to sell wine. The condition is that the size of the shops should be minimum 1000 sq ft,” stated the cabinet note.
Moreover, while issuing the license to sell wine to supermarkets and shops, the temples and schools distance norms will be also followed. Besides, these shops will have to pay Rs 5000 as annual fees to the government to get a wine selling license and the wine selling license will not be issued where the liquor sale is banned.
NCP minister Nawab Malik said that the decision of allowing super-market and shops to sell wine has been taken up to help the wine industry and farmers as well. He said that the BJP should not criticize this progressive decision of Maha Vikas Aghadi because in BJP-ruled states like Goa and Haryana, the sale of wine in supermarkets has been already implemented.
Jagdish Holkar, president of All India Wine Producer Association said that the Maharashtra government has taken a historic decision on Thursday by allowing supermarket and shops to sell the wine directly to consumers.
“Maharashtra produces 70 per cent of wine in India and 40 per cent is sold in Maharashtra. In developed countries, 80 per cent of fruits and horticulture crops are used for the processing industry while in India as a developing country, it is s a mere 7 to 8 per cent. We are behind in processing as well as marketing. In the last 20 years, the state government helped to promote the horticulture and wine production industry but we lagged behind in marketing. Now, this decision will boost the marketing so farmers and the wine industry will benefit from this historic decision,” Holkar added.
“Allowing supermarkets and shops to sell wine is a stepping stone decision. It will set the precedent so other states will also follow the suit. Now, wine will be the family drink,” Holkar added
