In an attempt to boost revenue, the Maharashtra government has allowed the manufacture of grain-based liquor and decided to revive closed and underutilised potable liquor licensee (PLL) units by permitting them to run at full capacity.
As per a government order issued on Thursday, the move is expected to generate an additional revenue of around ₹3,000 crore.
The order mentions Maharashtra Made Liquor (MML), a new category alongside Indian Made Liquor (IML) and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), which will be an exclusive brand produced in the state.
The proposal for MML was made by a committee formed in January under the Devendra Fadnavis-led government, headed by then additional chief secretary Valsa Nair. The committee submitted its report in April, and the cabinet cleared it on June 10.
According to the order, MML made from grains will be priced at Rs 148 for 180 ml and have an alcohol strength of 42.8 per cent by volume.
The aim is to bridge the price gap between country liquor and IMFL, the order stated.
The brand cannot be manufactured in any other state or under other liquor categories, such as country liquor, IML, beer or wine. PLL licensees producing MML must have their head office in Maharashtra.
Of the 70 PLL units in the state, 22 are defunct and 16 operate only as retailers, while the remaining 32 manufacture liquor, with 10 of them producing 70 per cent of the IMFL in Maharashtra.
This is not the first attempt to promote grain-based liquor in the state. In 2007, the Congress-NCP government had launched a scheme to set up grain-based distilleries, but it was scrapped following objections from activists and a stay by the Bombay High Court in 2010.
Published on August 9, 2025
Source link
[ad_3]
[ad_4]