'Dry state' Gujarat allows liquor in hotels and clubs in GIFT City

Source: The Economic Times

In a notable development, individuals employed in dry state Gujarat's GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) and authorized visitors will now be granted liquor permits, allowing them access to alcoholic beverages within the designated area. However, while hotels within GIFT City are permitted to serve liquor, they are restricted from selling bottled alcohol as per the latest regulations.

Apart from this, a provision has been made to allow authorized visitors of each company to consume liquor in such hotels/restaurants/clubs having temporary permits in the presence of permanent employees of that company.

Hotels/Restaurants/Clubs located or coming to GIFT City will be able to obtain wine and dine facility i.e. FL3 license there. Officially serving employees of GIFT City and officially visiting visitors can consume liquor in hotels/clubs/restaurants. However, hotels/clubs/restaurants cannot sell liquor bottles, said Gujarat Government.

"In Gandhinagar's Gift City, the alcohol ban is being lifted, and it's been decided to remove the prohibition. Now people will consume it, and it will impact Gujarat in a negative way. No idea what kind of profit the Gujarat government is seeing in this," said Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil on the decision.

In 2021, dry state Gujarat mulled over a proposal to relax prohibition rules in GIFT city, Gandhinagar in a bid to attract national and international fintech firms to set up offices as well as lure top talent to shift base to the state capital.

The move aims to offer "evening social life" in GIFT City which is on a par with what is enjoyed by professionals in other finance and technology hubs in India and abroad, said top officials close to the development.

On September 27, 2020, the GIFT management had written to the superintendent of prohibition and excise seeking a relaxation in liquor laws in the special economic zone (SEZ) area of the GIFT City. The request was to enable "evening public social life". The concessions have been sought under sections 139 (1) (c), 146 (b), and 147 of the Gujarat Prohibition Act, 1949.

GIFT City is an integrated development on 886 acres of land with a plan to develop 62 million sq. ft. of Built Up area constituted of commercial space of 67%, residential space of 22% and social space of 11%. Which includes Ultra-Modern Office spaces, Residential Apartments, Schools, Proposed Hospital, Five-star Hotels, Business Club, various recreational amenities, making this City a truly “Walk to Work” City. In addition to this GIFT City houses more than 12 buildings covering commercial, residential and social. Two of them are amongst the tallest buildings in the state of Gujarat.