Summary:
By October 2018, sales were up 15.52% to 2,014.23 lakh BL against previous year's 1,743.58 lakh BL. A notification issued by the home department last month amended the Maharashtra Country Liquor Rules, 1973, to let the bars open at breakfast time. "A licensee holding license in form CL-III shall not sell country liquor, except during the hours from 8 am to 10 pm," it reads. Country liquor is consumed by the toiling class and hence accounts for the largest volumes in terms of sales. In the fiscal 2017-18, country liquor sales across the state fell 4.02% to 3,126.09 lakh bulk litres (BL) compared to 3,256.99 BL in 2016-17..