The Lt. Governor has issued an order withdrawing the special excise duty on liquor that had raised the prices of brands on a par with the rates prevailing in neighbouring Tamil Nadu during the peak of the pandemic last year.
A release from the Lt. Governor's Office said, the validity of special excise duty had come to a close on April 7.
The special excise duty was imposed on select liquor brands when lockdown restrictions were withdrawn last year. The government had imposed 25 % to 100 % on these brands of liquor in the Union Territory to dissuade tipplers from other States from thronging Puducherry as a means to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
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The price of around 150 brands of rum, liquor, and whiskey were brought on par with the rate prevailing in Tamil Nadu. With the withdrawal of the special excise duty, the prices of these brands will revert to the pre-lockdown rate regime.
The bars and liquor outlets have been advised to follow COVID-19 norms. The Excise Department has been directed to monitor the functioning of liquor outlets and bars to ensure that COVID-19 norms are followed.