Maharashtra cabinet gives nod to hike excise duty on liquor, grant statutory status to SC commission

Mumbai, Jun 10 (PTI) The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday approved revenue-boosting changes in the excise department, including a hike in duty on liquor and the creation of new offices and posts.

It has also approved proposals to grant statutory status to the state scheduled castes commission and increase stipends for students of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and nursing.

A high-level study group had examined policies from other states and submitted recommendations on state excise duty, licensing, and tax collection improvements, a release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) stated.

The CMO said the cabinet gave its nod to restructure the department, establish an integrated control cell with AI-based monitoring of distilleries, bottling plants, and wholesale licences, and create a new divisional office in Mumbai along with six additional superintendent-level offices in Mumbai city, Mumbai suburbs, Thane, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur and Ahilyanagar districts.

As per the cabinet's decision, excise duty on Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) will be raised from three times to 4.5 times the declared manufacturing cost (up to Rs 260 per bulk litre), while duty on country liquor will rise from Rs 180 to Rs 205 per proof litre.

The state has also introduced a new category — grain based Maharashtra Made Liquor (MML) to be produced exclusively by local manufacturers. MML brands will require new registrations.

Revised minimum retail prices for 180 ml bottles are country liquor Rs 80, MML Rs 148, IMFL Rs 205, and premium foreign liquor Rs 360.

The release said that FL-2 and FL-3 licences (for sealed bottle and on-premise sales, respectively) can now be operated through conducting agreements, subject to an additional 15 per cent and 10 per cent annual licence fee, respectively.

To strengthen the department, the cabinet approved the creation of 1,223 new posts — 744 regular and 479 supervisory.

The release said these measures are expected to generate an additional Rs 14,000 crore annually in excise duties and related taxes.

The cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, approved a draft bill to grant statutory status to the Maharashtra State Scheduled Castes Commission.

The bill will be tabled in the upcoming session of the state legislature.

The commission was originally established in 2005 to uphold the principles of social justice. Following a recommendation by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes to establish separate bodies for SCs and STs due to the distinct nature of issues they face, the state had set up two separate commissions.

The cabinet also approved the transfer of 27 sanctioned posts to the SC Commission's establishment.

Apart from this, the cabinet approved a stipend hike for undergraduates and postgraduates in government-run physiotherapy and occupational therapy programmes.

Stipends for undergraduate interns will rise from Rs 1,750 to Rs 8,000 per month, while postgraduate students will receive Rs 33,730 per month — a hike of Rs 10,000 — including dearness allowance, with effect from June 1, 2025.

Nursing students undergoing a six-month internship at government colleges in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Nanded will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 8,000. PTI MR ARU