Mandatory License/Brand Requirement (आवश्यक):

• The party entering into tie-up arrangement MUST possess:
  • EITHER: Existing liquor production license, OR
  • If foreign company: Its own registered brand (स्वतः चा ब्रॅंड)

  • Label Approval (लेबल मान्यता):

    • Commissioner of State Excise (आयुक्त, राउशु) shall approve tie-up labels ONLY if:
      • All requirements of Circular dated 28.10.1997 are complied with
      • All subsequent amendments to that circular are incorporated

      • Registration of Tie-Up Deed (आवश्यक):

        • Tie-up agreement between parties must be registered under Stamp and Registration Act (स्टॅंप ि रजिस्ट्रेशन कायद्यानुसार नोंदणीकृत)

        • Violation and Termination (उल्लंघन केल्यास):

          • If tie-up party violates any provision of:
            • Bombay Prohibition Act 1949, OR
            • Rules thereunder, OR
            • Commission of criminal offence
            • Consequence: Tie-up agreement shall be immediately terminated with immediate effect (तात्काळ प्रभाविने रद्द)

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            C) DURATION, PRIVILEGE FEE CHARGING, AND RENEWAL TERMS

            1. Authority for Approval (अनुमती देण्याचा अधिकार):

            • The authority competent to approve lease/sub-lease or tie-up agreements is:
              • The same authority that originally granted the underlying license (ज्या प्रमाखी-याने अनुज्ञप्ती मंजूर केली, त्या प्राविकार्यास)

              2. Contract Period (कराराचा कालावधी):

              • License holders may execute lease/sub-lease/tie-up agreements for any duration they wish (किती ही कालाविधीसाठी)

              3. Privilege Fee (विशेषाधिकार शुल्क) — CRITICAL PROVISION:

              Fee Amount:

              • 15% of Annual License Renewal Fee (अनुज्ञप्तीच्या वार्षिक नवीकरण शुल्काच्या 15 टक्के इतके)

              Frequency:

              • Annually (दरवर्षी) — payable EVERY YEAR during the contract period

              Timing of Payment (भरणे कधी आवश्यक):

              • Privilege fee must be paid together with annual license renewal fee (अनुज्ञप्तीचे नवीकरण करतेवेळी वार्षिक नवीकरण शुल्कासोबत भरणे आवश्यक)

              4. Consequence of Non-Payment of Privilege Fee (शुल्क न भरल्यास):

              • If privilege fee is not paid within the prescribed time period:
                • Entire lease/sub-lease/tie-up agreement approval shall be deemed CANCELLED (मान्यता रद्द समजण्यात येईल)
                • Contract shall be VOID

                5. Applicability to Existing Agreements (प्रचलित करारांवर लागू):

                • Units that have previously submitted declarations/affidavits accepting the final conditions of this GR shall continue under this GR

                • Units that have NOT given declarations/affidavits (भाड्याचा/टाय-अपचा देणारा मान्य करार न घेतलेल्या घटकांना):

                  • Shall be liable for privilege fee with effect from financial year 2022-23 onwards (सन 2022-23 या वर्षापासून लागू)
                  • This applies retrospectively from April 1, 2022

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                  REGULATORY AMENDMENTS REQUIRED

                  Status of Subordinate Rules:

                  • Implementation notification shall be issued separately by Maharashtra Government
                  • Existing rules under Bombay Prohibition Act 1949 shall be amended as necessary to incorporate these conditions

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                  SPECIFIC LICENSE TYPES AFFECTED

                  This GR applies ONLY to the following license categories:

                  1. नमुना-आय (Sample Distillery) — Sample Distillery License (Spirit Production)
                  2. पीएलएल (Permitted Location Liquor) — PLL License
                  3. सीएल-1 (Country Liquor Class I) — CL-I License (Country Spirit/Whisky)
                  4. बीआरएल (Brewery License) — Beer and Brewery License

                  Critical Note: The GR explicitly states that:

                  • These lease/sub-lease provisions existed only for Sample Distillery, PLL, and CL-I under prior law
                  • BRL (Brewery) license had NO such provision in existing rules — this GR introduces it for the first time
                  • Tie-up agreements had no explicit provision in prior law — this GR is the first uniform regulation

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                  DISTRIBUTION AND IMPLEMENTATION

                  Copies distributed to (प्रति):

                  1. आयुक्त, राज्य उत्पादन शुल्क, मुंबई -23 — Commissioner of State Excise, Mumbai-23
                  2. सर्व जिल्हाधिकारी — All District Collectors
                  3. सर्व विभागीय उप आयुक्त, राज्य उत्पादन शुल्क — All Divisional Deputy Commissioners of State Excise
                  4. सर्व अधीक्षक, राज्य उत्पादन शुल्क — All Superintendents of State Excise
                  5. RAUSU-2 (File/संग्रहार्थ) — For record retention

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                  IMPORTANT NOTES, CONDITIONS, AND PENALTIES

                  Penalties and Enforcement:

                  Violation	Action
                  Breach of any term of lease/sub-lease/tie-up agreement	Contract immediately terminated (तात्काळ प्रभाविने रद्द)
                  Violation of Prohibition Act 1949 provisions	Blacklisting (काळ्या यादीत समावेश) + Immediate termination
                  Criminal offence committed	Blacklisting of company & all Directors/Partners + Immediate termination
                  Non-payment of privilege fee	Contract deemed cancelled/VOID
                  Non-payment of license fee/excise duty	Both lessee AND lessor jointly liable for recovery
                  Failure to print dual names on labels	Violation of license conditions
                  Using unlicensed brand in tie-up (without own license/brand)	Ineligibility for tie-up arrangement

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                  Special Provisions and Exceptions:

                  1. Retroactive Application (पूर्वव्यापी प्रभाव):

                     • Financial year 2022-23 onwards
                     • Units that gave binding declarations before publication shall comply
                     • Units without declarations from 2022-23 onwards

                     • Lessor and Lessee Joint Responsibility (संयुक्त दायित्व):

                       • BOTH entities remain liable even if one party defaults
                       • Government can recover from either party

                       • Police Verification Requirement (पोलिस पडताळणी आवश्यक):

                         • No tie-up arrangement can be approved without favorable police character report for all directors/partners

                         • Bank Guarantee Non-Refundable (गैर वापसी):

                           • Bank guarantee is intended as security, not a deposit
                           • Government retains right to invoke in case of default

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                           CROSS-REFERENCES TO EXISTING LAW

                           Subordinate Legislation Referenced:

                           1. Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949 (महाराष्ट्र दारुबंदी अधिनियम, 1949)
                           2. Government Notification dated 16 November 2011 (शासन अविसूचना वि. 16 नोव्हेंबर 2011)
                           3. Circular dated 28.10.1997 (परिपत्रक वि. 28.10.1997) — for label approval standards in tie-up cases
                           4. Stamp and Registration Act — for registration of lease/tie-up deeds
                           5. Bombay Foreign Liquor Rules 1953 & Maharashtra Country Liquor Rules 1973 — insofar as applicable to underlying licenses

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                           DIGITAL AUTHENTICATION

                           • Digital Signature Status: Yes, digitally signed (डिजीटल स्वाक्षरीने स्वाक्षांकित)
                           • Website Availability: Document available on www.maharashtra.gov.in
                           • Reference Code: 202206241553231829

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                           IMPLEMENTATION STATUS

                           Outstanding Actions:

                           • Separate notification on subordinate rules amendments to be issued
                           • Separate notification on privilege fee amounts and collection procedures to be issued
                           • Circular to Commissioner of State Excise for implementation direction
                           • Communication to all license holders for compliance from 2022-23

                           Compliance Deadline: Financial Year 2022-23 (from 01 April 2022)

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                           END OF ANALYSIS

                           This GR is legally binding and supersedes all prior inconsistent administrative instructions relating to lease/sub-lease/tie-up arrangements for Sample Distillery, PLL, CL-I, and BRL units in Maharashtra.