Bengal Raises Distance Limit For New Liquor Shops

The West Bengal government has tightened distance rules for new retail liquor shops, requiring them to be at least 500 metres from schools, colleges and religious institutions in urban and municipal areas and 1 km away in rural and other non-municipal areas. The revised norms increase the earlier minimum distance of 1,000 feet, or about 300 metres, according to officials and the recent government notification.

The restriction applies to new liquor licences and does not affect existing outlets operating under earlier approvals. In areas under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and other civic jurisdictions, the minimum distance has been fixed at 500 metres, while the 1-km requirement applies across rural and non-municipal jurisdictions. State Liquor Association Secretary Bijan Patra said the revised rules also specify conditions for existing shops that seek to shift to malls.

The revised framework follows Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's earlier announcement that liquor shops would not be permitted within 1 km of schools, colleges and temples. The government subsequently provided for a 500-metre exclusion zone in municipal areas, reflecting the different land-use patterns in densely populated urban locations. The previous statewide distance requirement had been about 300 metres.

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More than 4,000 liquor outlets, off-shops and bars are currently located within a 1-km radius of schools, colleges and religious institutions across West Bengal, but these existing establishments will not be affected by the revised distance rule. The new framework also invokes Section 4P of the Excise Act for setting up new off-shops through bars.

The changes also provide provisions concerning certain premises where liquor shops had previously operated but subsequently closed because of licence surrender, cancellation or other reasons. Reports on the revised rules said such sites could be treated differently from entirely new locations under specified conditions. The framework also contains provisions concerning the reopening or shifting of certain outlets, subject to the applicable licensing requirements.

The revised licensing norms are now in effect, with the government seeking to apply stricter distance requirements to new liquor outlets while leaving existing shops outside the new exclusion zones. Industry operators have raised concerns about the Section 4P provision, particularly over the financial implications of sharing a margin with the state agency. The changes mark a further revision of West Bengal's excise rules following the government's earlier announcement on liquor outlets near educational and religious institutions.

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