Madhya Pradesh is set to launch a new category of bars, known as ‘Low Alcoholic Beverage Bars,’ starting April 1 as part of its revised excise policy. These establishments will exclusively serve low-alcohol drinks such as beer, wine, and ready-to-drink beverages containing less than 10% alcohol, while stronger liquors will remain prohibited.
As part of the new policy, liquor sales will be completely banned in 19 locations, including 17 religiously significant sites such as Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Mandleshwar, Orchha, Maihar, Chitrakoot, Datia, Amarkantak, and Salkanpur. This move will lead to the closure of 47 liquor shops in these areas.
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The decision to restrict liquor sales in these locations is projected to cause a revenue loss of approximately Rs 450 crore for the government. However, unlike states such as Bihar and Gujarat, which have total prohibition laws, Madhya Pradesh will still allow residents and visitors to bring and consume liquor purchased from other areas without any legal consequences.
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Currently, Madhya Pradesh has around 460-470 bars, and the introduction of low-alcohol bars is expected to increase this number significantly. The new excise policy also introduces a 20% hike in liquor shop renewal fees, impacting existing businesses.
With this move, the state aims to regulate alcohol consumption while ensuring religiously significant locations remain liquor-free.