Gujarat issues SOP for liquor consumption in the GIFT City

Ahmedabad : The Gujarat Government has issued a gazette notification and standard operating procedure with regards to exemption of prohibition law in the Gujarat International Finance Tech (GIFT) City..

A week ago, in a major shift in its prohibition policy, the BJP government allowed the consumption of liquor in Gift City, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream project.

Emerging as a major business hub, GIFT City is strategically located 20 minutes away from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. It will have connectivity of the bullet train and metro trains as well.

As per the SOP of the state government and the gazette notification issued on December 30, liquor permits will be granted to only those above the age of 21. The alcohol will have to be consumed within the Gift City campus.

The access to liquor will cost Rs 1,000 per year. For the visitors the permits will be available for a day. The alcohol will have to be consumed only in the designated wine and dine area, which will be under the surveillance of the CCTV.

The SOP also comes with a strict guideline of destroying the liquor that is served and remains unconsumed.

Restaurants, Clubs and Hotels in the GIFT City will have to approach the prohibition and excise department in Gandhinagar to get necessary documents for the issuance of FL3 license that is required to serve liquor within the GIFT City campus.

Those serving liquor, will have to keep record of the stock and even the CCTV footage will have to be kept for three months.

The FL3 license will be issued for a period of one to five years and the fee for 1 year will be Rs 1 lakh. The security deposit will be Rs 2 lakh.

However, there is a catch about who is allowed and who is not allowed to have liquor in the GIFT City. Those already having liquor permits on various grounds like health or in case of a visitor in the state will not be allowed to consume liquor in the GIFT City. The temporary permits will be issued to the visitors in the GIFT City by the companies concerned or by a designated official.

People will not be allowed to drive after consuming liquor and if they are found violating the law then they will be booked under Gujarat Prohibition Act, 1949.

Different women’s groups and opposition Congress in Gujarat have flayed the state government’s move of giving liquor consumption relaxation in the GIFT City. Womens’ groups have attributed comparative safety of women in Gujarat vis-à-vis other states to prohibition in the state.

Former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela, who has always advocated lifting of prohibition, has demanded that the liquor consumption permission should not be given only at certain places.

He demanded that prohibition should be removed in totality.