LUCKNOW: Picking up a wine bottle for that soiree would no longer entail going to a dingy and shady roadside shop. Buying it with a carton of milk may soon be a reality in UP with the excise department working on a proposal that will allow for sale of beer and high-quality liquor in multi-product chains and supermarkets in malls and shopping complexes.
An official in the excise department said that liquor vends are right now out of bounds for a large section of society, including women, and a need was felt to make liquor available more easily in a safer environment.
“In model shops, for instance, one can purchase liquor and consume it there if one wants. Such a situation might inhibit several people from going into such a shop. Secondly, in view of rising tourism in the state, we would like tourists to be able to have easy and safe access to liquor in a supermarket,” explained the official.
Only premium liquor to be sold in malls
According to the plan, which will have to be cleared by a competent authority before it can be implemented, all kinds of beer, including cans and bottles, imported liquor and Indian-made foreign liquor which costs Rs 3,500 per bottle or more will be made available in shops.

I believe in this. All the big goons UP had produced were liquor contractors. All such guys used to fight for licences and over years one guy will emerge with monopoly. This is such a rotten system.

“This will mean that liquor like wines, expensive Scotch, vodka, brandy, etc, will be available in shopping marts. This system is widely prevalent in other states and foreign countries,” said an official.
According to the proposal, no standalone liquor shops will be set up in malls as of now. The policy will pertain only to sale of liquor in supermarket chains.