- West Bengal Assembly approves the Finance Bill 2025
- Major changes made to the Bengal Excise Act, 1909
- Removal of the ban on women serving in bars
The West Bengal Legislative Assembly has enacted the West Bengal Finance Bill 2025, which made significant amendments to the Bengal Excise Act of 1909. One such amendment is the removal of the ban on women from engaging in work in bars, a clause that was earlier deemed discriminatory.
The bill, moved by Minister of State Chandrima Bhattacharya, was cleared in the assembly on Wednesday. The amendments aim to update the Bengal Excise Act to make it more contemporary with present legal norms and deal with issues of regulation in the state's excise industry.
One significant alteration made is the lifting of the prohibition against women working in ON-category liquor shops. The bill points out that the amendment was crucial to abolish the discriminatory provision of limiting women workers in these shops.
The bill also contains revisions necessitated by the replacement of significant legal codes like the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Penal Code by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, respectively. "The Bengal Excise Act, which had referred to the abrogated laws, has been suitably amended," the bill says.
Another important change is the control of molasses so that it does not find its way into the manufacture of illegal liquor. The bill puts a special stress on the need to "include molasses in the definition of materials to avoid its use in the preparation of illegal liquor." It goes on to say that the amendments are to be made to render both the Bengal Excise Act, 1909, and the West Bengal Molasses Control Act, 1973, complementary and free from any overhang.
The West Bengal Finance Bill 2025 also addresses the regulatory aspects of molasses, laying down that although licensing and permits are still to be governed by the West Bengal Molasses Control Act, 1973, its use for illicit liquor manufacturing will now be a penal offense under the Bengal Excise Act, 1909.
The bill provides for imposing penalties on wastage of spirits in warehouses and distilleries, terming it a "regulatory measure." Another amendment provides for the extension of temporary liquor licenses, to ensure that "liquor establishments can carry on until a permanent settlement is arrived at, in the interest of State Revenue."
Also, the bill provides for statutory procedures to confiscate goods seized, and it is hoped to "ease operational difficulties." The bill further contains a clause requiring prior state government approval to all Excise officers in carrying out their tasks.
The bill also makes official a structural reform in the excise administration by rechristening the post of "Additional Excise Commissioner" as "Special Excise Commissioner" in accordance with an elevation of the post. Besides, the Bengal Excise Act was revised in 2024 to enhance enforcement, classify offenses according to the quantities involved, and raise departmental penalties.
