Kathmandu, September 29

The Industry, Commerce and Consumer Welfare Committee of the Legislature-Parliament has prevented the government from distributing licence for liquor industry.

The meeting of the Industrial Promotion Board, led by Industry Minister Mahesh Basnet, had decided to provide licence for liquor industry on September 18.

The Baburam Bhattarai-led government had opened the licence for liquor industry some three years back for the first time after 2001 and 48 liquor companies had obtained the licence. In 2001, the government had banned the licence for liquor industry and decided to set a new standard to upgrade and manage the liquor industry.

However, without proper monitoring of the liquor industry, then industry minister Anil Jha had opened the licence.

The Ministry of Industry formulated a new standard in August this year and opened the licence for new liquor companies on September 18. However, the parliamentary panel chaired by lawmaker Bhisma Raj Angdambe, today, prevented the Department of Industry, and Department of Cottage and Small Industries under the Ministry of Industry from distributing the licence without proper monitoring and management of already opened liquor factories.