Tipplers, who were left high and dry in first two Covid-19 lockdowns in the country with the government not allowing liquor vends to open, will now have to shell out more for alcohol in lockdown 3.0 in Himachal Pradesh as the state cabinet today decided to levy Covid cess (additional license fee) on sales of liquor.

The cabinet, in its meeting presided over by Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur here, decided that Rs 5 per bottle would be charged as Covid Cess on Country Liquor, Rs 10 per bottle on IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor), Rs. 5 per bottle/Can on Beer/RTD Indian Made, Rs 25 per bottle on Foreign Imported Liquor (BIO), Rs 10 per bottle/Can on Beer/RTD (BIO), Rs 10 per bottle on Indian Wine/Cider and Rs 25 per bottle on Wine/Cider (BIO) in the state.

The Covid- cess will reasonably increase revenues from liquor sales in HP.

The cabinet also decided to hike import fee on all kinds of spirits used by the industries (L-19A licenses) for manufacturing all kind of sanitisation products from Rs 10.50 per bulk litres to Rs 15 per bulk litres.

The cabinet also gave nod to increase the curfew relaxation to seven hours in the state from current five hours.

The cabinet sub-committee constituted for post Covid-19 economic revival made a presentation before the cabinet regarding its recommendations for expediting developmental works, mobilization of resources and possible support to different sectors.

The sub-committee recommended that the information on skills of Himachalis who have come back to the state must be shared with Labour and Employment and Industries Departments for their utilization in available sectors within Himachal.

It also suggested measures for harvesting of agriculture and horticulture crops in the coming seasons.

The cabinet sub-committee gave its recommendations on plugging revenue losses due to mining operations and for fast tracking of forest clearances.

With a view to providing 120 days assured unskilled employment guarantee to every household of the Urban Local Bodies, enhancing livelihood security in urban areas and facilitating skill enhancement of persons engaged in waged labour jobs to set up their own enterprises by imparting skill training, subsidy linked credit and entrepreneurship trainings, the cabinet gave its consent to implement Mukhya Mantri Shahri Ajeevika Guarantee Yojna in the State. This would help to strengthen urban infrastructure and provisioning of quality civic amenities in Urban Local Bodies.

A sum of Rs 25.20 crore is expected to be spent under this ambitious Yojna.

The cabinet appealed to all state government employees and employees of state Public Sector Units/Boards/Universities etc. for generous contribution to the HP State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) Covid-19 State Disaster Response Fund.