Highlighting that the recent hike in liquor prices will cripple their business and lead to huge job losses in the hospitality sector, the permit room and bar owners have launched a unique protest. The staff members in the city’s permit rooms and bars are serving their clients wearing a white colour ‘Gandhi cap’ with a slogan ‘VAT Hatao Naukri bachao’ written on it. According to the office-bearers of the Nagpur Zilla Restaurant Permit Room Association, all the waiters, cooks, managers and others attached to the bars and permit rooms are participating in the protest. There are 1,150-1,200 bars and permit rooms in the district, which, according to the association, are facing hardship due to the massive hike in liquor prices.

 

 

The Maharashtra Government has recently imposed a 60 per cent hike in Excise Duty, a 15 per cent increase in annual FL3 license fees for FY26, and a 10 per cent VAT on Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) sold at FL3 outlets. This hike has eventually pushed up the price of various categories of liquor, including whisky, rum, vodka and scotch. The price of mid category whisky that was in the range of Rs 640-780 per 750 ml, has now surged to Rs 880-1,000 while the price of rum jumped from Rs 540-570 per 750 ml to Rs 820-880 per 750 ml. Price of a widely consumed Vodka has also seen similar jump from Rs 800 per 750 ml to Rs 1,120 per 750 ml. It is interesting to note that the price hike is significant in mid-premium brands of whisky, rum and vodka that are consumed more than entry level or premium brands.

 

It simply means that now middle class liquor consumers will have to shell out more to quench their thirst for liquor. Navin Bawankar, Secretary of Nagpur Zilla Restaurant Permit Room Association and owner of Parimal Bar and Restaurant located in Suyog Nagar, said most of the permit rooms in the city are witnessing a drop of 50-55 per cent in footfalls due to the price hike. It is worth mentioning here that the recent price has affected permit room and bars more than the liquor shops as the State Government has imposed 10 per cent VAT on IMFL sold at FL3 outlets. Rajeev Jaiswal, President of the association, said that the disparity in the prices will compel people to consume liquor in ‘dhabas’, roadside eateries and other public places. “Liquor consumption at unauthorised places will certainly rise in the coming days. Besides, it will also give rise to illegal selling of liquor,” he observed.

 

To protest against the hike in VAT on liquor, all the permit rooms and bar owners across the State had observed one-day bandh on July 14. More than 6,500 permit rooms and bars in Vidarbha and over 21,000 such facilities in the State remained closed throughout the day. Besides, all the liquor shop owners in the State also observed bandh from morning to 6 pm on the same day. “However, it seems that the Government is not paying heed to our demands and thus, we have decided to continue our fight against the ‘unjustified’ hike in taxes,” he said, adding that, the association will soon intensify the agitation if the price rise is not rolled back.