📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Rajvier
Politics
West Bengal Mandates 500m Distance for New Liquor Licences in Municipal Areas
✍️ Aabkari Times
🗓 29 Oct 2026, 03:57 AM
👁 1
The West Bengal government has introduced new regulations for liquor licences, specifying a mandatory 500-metre distance limit within municipal areas.
The West Bengal administration has officially implemented a revised set of rules governing the issuance of liquor licences. The primary focus of this regulatory update is to establish stricter spatial guidelines for the location of liquor outlets.
Under the new framework, a mandatory distance limit of 500 metres has been set for liquor shops operating within municipal areas. This provision aims to regulate the density of alcohol outlets in urban centres, ensuring they are not placed in immediate proximity to sensitive locations or residential clusters as defined by municipal boundaries.
The move reflects a broader effort by the state government to refine its alcohol policy and align licensing procedures with urban planning standards. By codifying this specific distance requirement, the authorities intend to bring greater order to the distribution and sale of liquor in the state's cities and towns.
These new rules will apply to fresh applications and renewals where the location falls under municipal jurisdiction. The implementation is expected to impact existing business setups that do not meet the new distance criteria, prompting a review of their compliance status.
Under the new framework, a mandatory distance limit of 500 metres has been set for liquor shops operating within municipal areas. This provision aims to regulate the density of alcohol outlets in urban centres, ensuring they are not placed in immediate proximity to sensitive locations or residential clusters as defined by municipal boundaries.
The move reflects a broader effort by the state government to refine its alcohol policy and align licensing procedures with urban planning standards. By codifying this specific distance requirement, the authorities intend to bring greater order to the distribution and sale of liquor in the state's cities and towns.
These new rules will apply to fresh applications and renewals where the location falls under municipal jurisdiction. The implementation is expected to impact existing business setups that do not meet the new distance criteria, prompting a review of their compliance status.