Dry Gujarat Relaxes Liquor Ban In GIFT City To Boost Business

Gandhinagar: In a significant move to boost business, the Gujarat government has announced its permission to consumption of alcohol in GIFT City area in Gandhinagar in a major relaxation of stringent prohibition laws enforced in the state.

The decision will allow all employees and officials of GIFT City (Gujarat International Financial Tech City), as well as visitors, access to liquor, a government release said on Friday. The decision to relax liquor laws has been done to provide a “global business ecosystem” in GIFT City, the statement quoted by news reports added.

Employees and owners in GIFT City will be given a “liquor access permit” with which they can get liquor at hotels, restaurants, and clubs on campus. Currently, there is one hotel and a club in GIFT City.

The relaxation will also authorise existing business entities to provide temporary liquor permits to their respective visitors. However, these visitors can drink liquor only with a registered employee of GIFT City in the clubs, hotels, and restaurants within the premises.

The official statement says that restaurants, clubs, and hotels in GIFT City will not be allowed to sell liquor bottles. State government officials and GIFT City officials could not be reached for a comment. Currently, there are over 20,000 employees employed in over 500 odd firms in GIFT City. Apart from this, there are over 330 odd families residing on the 1,065-acre campus. It is, however, not immediately clear if the liquor laws apply to residents of GIFT City.