Haryana government has approved the new excise policy for year 2025-27 (Haryana Excise Policy 2025-27) in the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini, major structural reforms were approved in this policy. While holding a meeting, Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini warned that the  liquor sellers should be careful to implement excise policy rules, failing which the license of the dealer will be cancelled. According to the new policy, liquor shops will not be opened in villages with a population of less than 500. The distance of liquor shops from schools and religious places has been increased to 150 meters. The government has fixed a fee for opening the premises, which will also increase government revenue. Saini said the excise policy year will now be linked with the financial year, and will be applicable from June 12, 2025 to March 31, 2027 i.e. for 21.5 months, after which all future policies will be governed as per the financial year starting from April 1 and ending on March 31.

As strictly stated, the liquor contracts will not be opened in villages with a population of less than 500. Information reveals that at present there are about 700 such villages, due to which the 152 contracts already operating there will also be closed down. Under the new excise policy, the government has set a target of earning revenue of Rs 14 thousand 64 crore for the financial year 2025–26. According to information, in the financial year 2024–25, the Excise and Taxation Department earned a revenue of Rs 12,700 crore against the target of Rs 12,650 crore. In such a situation, the rates of liquor are bound to increase, as such the government has increased the license fee amount for opening new premises. In the new Haryana Excise Policy, the number of present liquor contracts shops identified as 2400 has not been increased in the state, and will continue to operate as before.

According to new excise policy, liquor shops will be opened at a distance of 150 meters from religious places, will be opened only at a distance of 150 meters from bus stands, schools, colleges and religious places, since earlier this distance was only 75 meters which has been increased in the new excise policy with a provision has been made in the new policy that liquor shops should not be directly visible from the national and state highways and will not have direct connection with the highway. According to the new policy, if liquor shops or their advertisements are found visible at a near distance from the national and state highways, then along with imposing a fine on the concerned license holder, action will be taken to cancel their license. In case of a violation, for the first time a fine of one lakh rupees will be imposed, for the second time this amount of fine will be two lakh rupees and for the third time the fine amount will be three lakh rupees and after that the license of the dealer will be cancelled. 

In the new liquor policy, a fee has been fixed for opening a compound. In Gurugram and Faridabad, the fee for opening a compound is four percent of the license fee, in Sonipat and Panchkula, three percent of the license fee and in the rest of the districts across the state, a compound can be opened by paying one percent of the license fee. According to the new policy, no liquor bar will be able to open in less than one thousand square meter area. Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini, in his capacity as Finance and Excise Minister, said that now the guidelines for operating taverns (L-52) have been tightened. Now taverns will be able to operate only in closed premises approved by the Excise Department and they should not be visible to passersby. It has been made compulsory to display a Board saying ‘drinking alcohol is injurious to health’.
In the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Saini, major structural reforms were approved in this policy. Live singing, dancing or dramatic performances were completely banned in taverns. The Chief Minister said that the process of obtaining temporary licenses (L-12A and L-12A-C) for events has been simplified. However, unregistered commercial places and banquet halls will be charged higher fees for one-day licences, especially in urban areas like Gurugram, Faridabad and Panchkula. Statutory warning boards such as ‘Drinking alcohol is injurious to health’ and ‘Do not drink and drive’ will be mandatorily installed at all licensed sales centres and sub-sales centres.