Raipur: Liquor will soon become costlier in Chhattisgarh as the state government has decided to increase the additional excise duty on alcoholic beverages. Minister of State Mohammad Akbar reported this on Thursday. He said that a decision in this regard was taken in the cabinet meeting chaired by CM Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday. He said that apart from this, many important decisions were also taken in the cabinet meeting.  

He informed that additional excise duty on liquor has been allowed to be increased to meet the excise revenue target for the financial year 2022-23. Earlier the additional excise duty was Rs 5 per bottle of liquor, which will now be Rs 10. Minister of State Mohammad Akbar said that the Cabinet also discussed the development of goshalas. He said the government wants to develop them as rural industrial parks.

Mohammad Akbar, the forest minister in the Chhattisgarh government, said that the cabinet has also taken a decision on the fisheries policy. The Cabinet meeting has approved the new fisheries policy in place of the existing fisheries policy. He said the details will be presented in the state assembly to be held from July 20. The Minister further informed that the proposal for sanctioning the creation of the District Strike Force cadre by abolishing the sanctioned posts of Assistant Guards in the State was approved. This will remove the pay anomaly of the Assistant Guards of the Police Department and all the Assistant Guards of the State will get regular pay scales. He said the Cabinet has also approved the CM's proposal to increase the limit of a voluntary grant from Rs 40 crore to Rs 70 crore annually. Among other decisions, the Council of Ministers has decided to provide concession in energy cess to single rolling mills under the HV-4 category steel industry from 1st July to 31st March next year under the special relief package of the state government so as to sustain competition in the challenges of economic slowdown.  

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