As the financial year draws to a close, liquor stores across Noida experienced an overwhelming surge of customers on Tuesday, with eager buyers rushing to avail of heavy discounts and promotional offers. Many vendors are offering “buy one, get one free” deals in an attempt to clear their stock before March 31, when new contractors will take over operations.
Several videos circulating on social media show long queues snaking outside prominent liquor outlets, including the English Wine Shop in Sector 18. In some clips, buyers can be seen carrying crates of alcohol, with one person jokingly remarking, “A lockdown is being imposed from tomorrow. Take everything today!”
एक बोतल पर एक बोतल दारू फ्री –
उत्तर प्रदेश के शराब ठेके वालों को 31 मार्च की रात 12 बजे तक सारा स्टॉक खत्म करना है। वरना बची हुई दारू सरकारी खाते में जमा हो जाएगी और उसकी बिक्री नहीं हो पाएगी। इसलिए ठेके वाले ग्राहकों को खूब ऑफर दे रहे हैं। Video नोएडा की है। pic.twitter.com/hCLD9sxleu
Advertisement · Scroll to continue— Sachin Gupta (@SachinGuptaUP) March 25, 2025
Industry insiders predict the rush will only intensify in the coming days as vendors race against time to exhaust their stock. Under the existing excise policy, retailers must surrender any unsold liquor to the government before the new financial year begins.
Adding to the frenzy, the Uttar Pradesh government recently approved its Excise Policy for 2025-26, introducing significant changes such as an e-lottery system for liquor and bhang shop allocations. A new category of “Composite Shops” has also been introduced, merging beer and foreign liquor outlets into a single unit.
Despite the policy changes, operating hours for liquor shops will remain unchanged, with outlets continuing to function from 10 AM to 10 PM, according to Excise Minister Nitin Agarwal.
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