Govt introduces wine policy

Bangalore, Oct 3: Government on Friday, Oct 3 introduced an integrated wine policy to boost the production and marketing of wines, simplifying further the rules for issuing licenses and permits to wineries.

Development Commissioner L Shantakumari Sunder told reporters here that power to issue licenses to the wineries by the Excise Commissioner had now been delegated to the Deputy Commissioner (Revenue).

The license fee has also been brought down from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5,000, she added. The new policy allows opening of wine taverns to sell the wine separately throughout the state, she said.

Ms Sunder also said the state has two wineries and it plans to open six more in Nandibetta, Koppal, Dodda Ballapur, Chikkodi, Mudhol and Bijapur in the coming year.

The state, which is the first to set up a Wine Board in the country is next only to Maharashtra in grape production and intends to boost it further with identification of suitable areas for growing different grape verieties required for the production of good quality wines, she said.

The state government was also planning to set up wine parks with public-private patnership at Nandi and Krishna valley to facilitate wine production and related activities, she added.

The implementation of the wine policy and other related activities will be undertaken by the Horticulture department.

UNI