After seemingly angering the people of Goa by taking over as Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar is likely to anger the entire nation after making alcohol in Goa more expensive.
As part of the budget announced recently, Parrikar marginally enhanced the excise duty on beer and has imposed a ₹1 lakh licence fee on spirit additives.
With the imposition of this licence fee, alcohol in Goa will definitely be more expensive.
Is whiskey going to be the next most expensive alcohol in Goa?
The ₹1 lakh licence fee on spirit additives will definitely impact the prices of whiskies. Other scotch, vodka, gin, rums and similar spirits may soon have slightly inflated prices.
The move seems to be reflective of the State government’s focus on promoting local industries.
While alcohol prices in Goa are likely to go up, petrol prices are definitely going up!
Petrol to be more expensive!
The rate of VAT on motor spirit has been enhanced to 15% from 7%, pushing petrol prices beyond the Rs 60-per-litre mark to touch Rs 65.
“It is time to review this measure, in view of the enhanced spending and provisions made for various existing and new initiatives in the budget,” said Parrikar.
Not just prices of fuel and alcohol, Parrikar has raised political stakes too
While in Delhi on Friday, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar thanked Congress leader Digvijay Singh for failing to cobble together a majority in the state despite the party winning the largest number of assembly seats.
Parrikar went to the Rajya Sabha during the Zero Hour and thanked the chairman, deputy chairman and other members.
“I express my thanks to the chairman, deputy chairman and members of this house for their support during my tenure as Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister), and invite them to Goa whenever they want to come,” Parrikar said.
“My special thanks to honourable member Digvijay Singh, who happened to be in Goa but did nothing so that I could form the government,” he said.
Outside the house, Parrikar said there was no question of immorality in the way the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed the government in Goa with the help of smaller parties and Independents.
“Other parties supported us as they didn’t trust the Congress…It’s a coalition government and there is no question of morality of immorality in it,” Parrikar said.
When asked why he gave special thanks to Digvijay Singh, Parrikar replied: “I thanked him for his incompetence.”
