Now If You Have Beer In UP, You Are Actually Doing Gau-Sewa!

New Delhi: If you're thinking of having a beer in Uttar Pradesh, better raise your glass for cow protection because the state's cabinet passed a special charge on the sale of foreign liquor and beer in the state. The revenue generated will go towards the funding for cow shelters or farms. A fee of Rs 10 will be charged on every bottle of foreign liquor in hotels and restaurants, while Rs 5 will be applicable to each beer bottle.

Have Beer in the name of Holy Cow!

The cattle shelters, or "gaushalas", range from tiny pastures to large complexes. Traditionally, such shelters are operated as religiously-motivated charities, taking in cows cast off by farmers.

A fee, ranging from Re 1 to Rs 3 per bottle, on bottling of beer and foreign liquor has also been levied, with the exception of economy brands, in all breweries and distilleries. Another fee of 50 p to Rs 2 per bottle will be imposed on import permit fee for beer and alcohol manufactured in the state.

"Due to demand by distillery owners to expand capacity, we are looking at the possibility of allowing them to do so from current 80 percent to 90 percent. This increase is required due to the increased demand in the state,"-UP Excise Minister

Going by the state's current sales figures, the excise department expects that the revenue generated will contribute around Rs 165 crore annually for cow protection in Uttar Pradesh.

Excise Minister was earlier against it

Excise minister Jai Pratap Singh, who previously against a move to charge fees on alcohol, said that the state government had worked out a system by which they could contribute Rs 165 crore annually to the state. "Due to demand by distillery owners to expand capacity, we are looking at the possibility of allowing them to do so from current 80 percent to 90 percent. This increase is required due to the increased demand in the state," he said