STATED RATIONALE FOR THE RESTRICTION

(Provided by the Government as justification for the policy)

Environmental Concerns

1. PET bottles are non-biodegradable (अनवघटनशील) — cause environmental damage and pollution risk
2. PET bottles, after use, cannot be easily disposed of
3. They clog drainage systems, sewers, and waste management infrastructure (गटारे-नाले, मलनि:सारण व्यवस्था) — creating public health and sanitation hazards

Health Concerns

• Plastic dissolves/leaches into alcohol to some extent — can be harmful to human health (मानवी आरोग्यास अपायकारक)

Revenue and Anti-Smuggling Rationale

1. PET bottles are lightweight (वजनास हल्क्या) — easier to transport
2. Smugglers find PET bottles convenient for illegal trafficking (तस्कराांना सोईचे)
3. Lighter bottles facilitate illegal re-export and smuggling — reducing State excise revenue (शासनास महसूलास मुकावे लागते)
4. Embossing with "For Sale in Maharashtra State only" will:
   • Deter inter-state smuggling/diversion (तस्करीस आळा बसेल)
   • Increase excise revenue (शासनाच्या महसूलात वाढ)

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   IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE & AUTHORITY

   Aspect	Detail
   Effective Date	1 April 2016 (नद. 1 एप्रिल, 2016) सासून (from)
   Implementing Authority	Commissioner of State Excise, Maharashtra (आयुक्त, राज्य उत्पादन शुलक, महाराष्ट्र राज्य)
   Publication	maharashtra.gov.in (State Government Portal)
   Signature Authority	Digitally signed on behalf of the Governor of Maharashtra
   Signed By	P.H. Vagde, Deputy Secretary, Home Department (सह सचिव, गृह विभाग)

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   DISTRIBUTION LIST (प्रत् / Copies sent to)

   The order was distributed to:

   1. Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister
   2. Private Secretary to the Minister of State Excise (Excise, Water Supply & Sanitation Department)
   3. Private Secretary to the Deputy Minister of State Excise
   4. Principal Secretary, State Excise, Water Supply & Sanitation Department
   5. Commissioner of State Excise, Maharashtra State, Mumbai
   6. Commissioner of Food and Drug Administration, Vile Parle (E), Mumbai
   7. All District Collectors
   8. All Divisional Deputy Commissioners of State Excise
   9. All Superintendents of State Excise
   10. All PLL (Permitted License Holders), CL-1 (Country Liquor Class I), and BRL (Beer Retail License) holders — explicitly named in distribution list

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   WHO IS AFFECTED (LICENSE CATEGORIES)

   License Category	Affected?	Details
   FL (Foreign Liquor) – All Classes	YES	Glass bottles mandatory; embossing required
   CL-I (Country Liquor Class I)	YES	Glass bottles mandatory; embossing required
   CL-II (Country Liquor Class II)	YES	Glass bottles mandatory; embossing required
   CL-III (Country Liquor Class III)	YES	Glass bottles mandatory; embossing required
   Beer Manufacturers/Traders	PARTIALLY	Existing cans permitted; no PET restriction, but if bottled in glass, embossing required
   Wine Manufacturers	YES	Glass bottles mandatory; embossing required
   Spirits Manufacturers	YES	NEW glass bottles only (per Rule 1966); embossing required
   PLL (Permitted License Holders)	YES	If manufacturing/bottling liquor
   BRL (Beer Retail License)	NO	Does not manufacture; no bottle requirement
   Importers (Inter-State)	YES	Same restrictions apply to imported bottled beverages

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   IMPORTANT NOTES / CONDITIONS / EXCEPTIONS

   What IS Exempted

   1. Beer in existing cans — No restriction on use of cans (कॅन) for beer
   2. Spirits under Rule 17(28) — Existing rule (new bottles only) is preserved, not changed

   What IS Prohibited

   1. No PET bottles for domestic liquor or foreign liquor manufacturing
   2. No TetraPak for domestic liquor or foreign liquor manufacturing
   3. These prohibitions apply to beverages imported from outside Maharashtra as well

   Mandatory Compliance Requirement

   • Every single glass bottle must be embossed with the prescribed text
   • Embossing must be done in both English AND Marathi
   • The embossing is a condition of the GR itself — not merely advisory

   Bottle Cleaning Standards

   • All bottles used for Beer, Wine, and Country Liquor must be cleaned per BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) standards — this is mandatory

   No Penalties Specified

   The GR does not explicitly state penalties for non-compliance, but non-compliance would violate:

   • Bombay Prohibition Act 1949 (BPA)
   • Maharashtra Distillery Rules 1966, Rule 17(28)
   • Maharashtra Country Liquor Rules 1973, Rule 6(26)

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   ENFORCEMENT NOTES

   Authority Responsible for Enforcement:

   • Commissioner of State Excise, Maharashtra (आयुक्त, राज्य उत्पादन शुलक)
   • All Divisional Deputy Commissioners of State Excise
   • All Superintendents of State Excise
   • All District Collectors (for coordination)

   Mechanism:

   • No specific enforcement procedure is stated in the GR itself
   • Enforcement would likely occur through:
     • Inspection of licensed premises
     • Verification of bottle stock at the time of license renewal
     • Confiscation of non-compliant bottles found during raids
     • Cancellation of licenses for repeated violations (under BPA and subsidiary rules)

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     CRITICAL OBSERVATIONS

     1. No Transition Period: The GR mandates compliance from 1 April 2016 — no grace period mentioned for licensees to phase out existing PET bottle stock

     2. Retail Import Impact: The language "परराज्यातून आयात होणाऱ्या पेय मद्यabbत" (beverages imported from other States) suggests that even bottles arriving at retail points must be re-bottled in glass or must already be in glass — creating potential logistical compliance issues

     3. Spirits Rule Unchanged: The GR explicitly states that spirits manufacturing rules remain unchanged (नवीन काचेच्या बाटले वापरणे बांधनकारक राहील) — meaning the pre-existing "new bottles only" rule under Rule 17(28), 1966 continues

     4. No Fee or Cost Guidance: The GR does not address who bears the cost of embossing or glass bottle sourcing — this would fall on licensees

     5. Embossing Precision Not Specified: The GR does not specify font size, embossing depth, or placement location — only that the text must appear on each bottle

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        ORIGINAL MARATHI TEXT SECTIONS (Key Quotes)

        Original Marathi	English Translation
        "राज्यातील देशी/नवदेशी मद्याच्या आवेष्ट्टनाांकनरता फक्त काचेच्या बाटले उपयोगात आणाव्या"	"For domestic/foreign liquor containers in the State, only glass bottles shall be used"
        "प्रत्येक बाटलीवर उमटविलेले (Emboss) असावे"	"Must be embossed on each bottle"
        "पेट (PET) व टेरा पॅकचा वापर करण्यास या शासन निर्णयाव्दारे निबंध घालण्यात येत आहेत"	"The use of PET and TetraPak is hereby restricted/prohibited by this GR"
        "या शासन निर्णयाची अंमलबजावणी नद. 1 एप्रिल, 2016 पासून करण्यात येईल"	"Implementation of this GR shall commence from 1 April 2016"

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        LEGAL REFERENCES CITED IN THE GR

        Rule/Act	Rule Number	Year	Context
        Bombay Prohibition Act (BPA)	—	1949	Legal framework for liquor manufacturing permission
        Maharashtra Distillery and Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturing Rules	17(28)	1966	Spirits manufacturing — requires new bottles only
        Maharashtra Country Liquor Rules	6(26)	1973	Domestic liquor — requires clean, washed containers
        Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)	—	—	Cleaning standards for bottles (mandatory compliance)

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        DOCUMENT AUTHENTICITY & PUBLICATION

        • Digital Signature: Yes (डिजीटल स्वाक्षरीने साक्षांकित)
        • Publication Portal: maharashtra.gov.in
        • Portal Link Reference Code: 201601111134544129
        • Authority: Issued on behalf of the Governor of Maharashtra

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        CONCLUSION

        This GR represents a complete prohibition on PET and TetraPak bottling for all domestic and foreign liquor manufacturing in Maharashtra, effective 1 April 2016. It mandates glass bottles with embossed dual-language text to prevent smuggling and inter-state diversion. The policy affects all FL, CL-I, CL-II, CL-III, Wine, and Spirits licensees, with beer cans exempted. Implementation responsibility rests with the Commissioner of State Excise and field officers across all districts.