Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has announced in the State Assembly that new beer and liquor shops in the commercial premises of housing societies will now require a mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the respective society.
Pawar, who is also the State Finance and Excise Minister, also told the Assembly that no permission to open new liquor shops has been given in the state since 1972. The Excise Department gets proposals for migration of old shops to new locations. It is then verified and its migration is approved. While doing so, police’s approval is sought and then a decision is taken on it, he said.
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Wednesday 12 March 2025
In rural areas or municipal limits, a NOC from the civic body is a must and only then the shop is approved. In case of a rural location, a Gram Sabha resolution is mandatory, he added. “New housing societies are emerging in cities. However, there is no NOC from the society. But I think change needs to be made in the law. It is the right of the society to determine what kind of shops they want. Change will be made in the law at the earliest,” Pawar said responding to a calling attention motion in the Assembly.
Many housing societies have commercial establishments, with some even having liquor vends. Pawar also agreed to BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar’s demand that if any housing society wants to shut a liquor shop due to nuisance, polling needs to be conducted in that particular ward, in which 75 per cent of the voters must be in favour of that proposal.
The earlier norm was that 50 per cent of the total voters in that ward should be in favour of shutting the shop.
This move aims to prevent disputes among residents, curb addiction among youth, and improve law and order in cities where many such liquor shops are located within housing society premises.
“The government is not promoting liquor sales but ensuring strict enforcement of existing laws, including the prohibition of liquor stores near schools and colleges. Additionally, measures will be taken to curb illegal liquor sales,” Pawar said. The announcement has been widely appreciated by legislators across party lines.
While the new rule is seen as a step in the right direction, residents hope the government will address the existing problems by extending the requirement to current liquor shops as well.
