GUWAHATI, Feb 22 - The State government has abolished the mahal system and amended the Excise Rules to put in place a scientific system of bottling and trading of country spirit. The notification in this regard was issued by the Governor on Monday.
The new rules intend to make the entire trade transparent and hygienic, which, in turn, will also augment revenue. It will also help curb the menace of illicit country liquor, PRO of the Excise department Sailendra Pandey said.
The licence fee for retail outlets will be Rs 10,000, Rs 30,000 for wholesale and Rs 1 lakh for manufacturing units. The Excise Commissioner will be the licensing authority for manufacturing units, while the DC will grant licences for retail and wholesale outlets.
The new law describes the country spirit as plain spirit and �coloured or flavoured spirit which has been made in India from extra neutral alcohol (grain-based) as base material and which is issued for consumption as potable alcoholic liquor and is not deemed to be foreign liquor.�
The branding will be based on colour and flavour of the spirit. A number of regulations have been outlined in the new law to ensure hygiene and transparency. There are also provisions for affixing holograms on the cap of the bottles. �From bottling to retailing, the entire system will be like IMFL,� Pandey said.
Chemical examiners will regularly test the products. The capsule or sealed bottles will be labelled and they will bear a distinct serial number.