The Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra has approved the sale of wine in supermarkets.
The size of such shops should be over 1,000 sq ft, according to the decision taken at the weekly Cabinet meeting presided over by Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.
The BJP, however, has opposed the move with leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis saying that it would not allow Maharashtra to transform into “Madyarastra”.
“The government will allow sale of wine in supermarkets of over 1,000 sq ft and there would be a dedicated area or showcase for sale of wine,” state minority affairs minister Nawab Malik told reporters.
“There are several wineries in Maharashtra…the decision would give a boost to it,” he said, adding that it would also benefit farmers who supply fruits to wineries. Reeling out decisions on liquor industry taken by MVA government since it came to power, Fadnavis said: “Liquor is cheaper than petrol and diesel in Maharashtra, prohibition removed (Chandrapur), decision to give new liquor licences, and now wine to be available in supermarket and kirana shops…we will not allow Maharashtra to be converted into Madyarastra,” Fadnavis said.
Majority of wines have very low content of pure spirits as compared to other liquors. Also, a large number of restaurants and bakeries use wine for food making. The state has over 50 wineries and the majority of them are located in Nashik, which is also referred to as wine capital of the state.
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