New liquor shops in urban Bengal to keep 500-metre distance from schools, religious sites; 1 km elsewhere

The West Bengal government has increased the mandatory distance for new retail liquor shops from educational institutions and religious sites to 500 metres in urban and municipal areas and 1 km in other parts of the state, up from the earlier 300 metres, officials said.

According to a recent government notification, no new liquor licenses will be granted within a 1 km radius of religious institutions, schools, and colleges across rural and non-municipal jurisdictions, state Liquor Association Secretary Bijan Patra said on Thursday.

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For areas under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and other civic jurisdictions, the government has fixed the minimum distance at 500 metres from places of worship and educational institutions, he said.

He, however, said if an existing liquor shop wants to 'shift' to a mall of any size, Rule 8 regarding distance criteria will not apply.

Under the previous framework, the minimum distance requirement was 1,000 feet, or around 300 metres.

Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari had earlier announced that his government would not permit liquor sales within a 1 km radius of schools, colleges, and temples.

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Currently, over 4,000 liquor outlets, off-shops, and bars operate within a 1 km radius of such sensitive zones across the state, but existing shops will not be impacted by this new rule.

The new policy also invokes Section 4P of the Excise Act for setting up new off-shops through bars.

However, some industry operators have raised concerns over the provision, saying it may not be favourable for the liquor trade as the state agency will retain a margin.