Karnataka Wine Board’s (KWB) plans to popularise locally made wine is likely to suffer a setback from Saturday.
The Supreme Court order on the closure of liquor vends located within 500 metres on the either side of national highways across the state also applies to the sale of wine, according to KWB managing director T Somu.
Going by the Supreme Court orders, wine will not be sold in wine taverns and other liquor outlets falling within the restricted zone. Also, it cannot be sold in malls or stores along highways. However, wine tourism, grape stomping and wine making will not be affected.
The board will now write to the Union and the state governments highlighting the health benefits of wine and request them to exempt wine from the list.
Locally made wine and unfortified wine should be accorded a special status and their sale should be permitted, at least near places where it is brewed, said another KWB official.
“All wine with more than 2% alcohol comes under the excise rules. But the ones which do not have alcohol should be considered for exemption. The state government should also consider the hundreds of people employed in this sector if the sale of wine is affected,” the official said.
DH News Service