Gujarat Lifts Liquor Ban In GIFT City: Netizens Say 'Don't Have To Go To Daman And Diu Anymore'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) "The Gujarat government on Friday announced that in an attempt to provide \"global business ecosystem\" at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), the ban on liquor has been lifted in this area. Notably, Gujarat is a 'dry state'.\"GIFT City has emerged as a global financial and technological hub which is bustling with economic activities. An important decision has been taken on Friday to change rules to allow `wine and dine' facilities in the GIFT City area to provide a global business ecosystem to global investors, technical experts and national and international companies,\" the state prohibition department said in a statement.\"Under the new system, hotels, restaurants and clubs (existing and that will come up) in the GIFT City area will be given permits for wine and dine facilities,\" it said decision received varied reactions netizens took a sarcastic stance and mentioned how people of Gujarat would not have to go to the Indian island of daman and Diu to get alcohol.“Gujarat people will no longer have to go to Daman & Diu can now go to Gift City to consume liquor legally”, wrote one netizen.“Also Income Tax exemption, SEZ, Custom exemption, Dividend & Capital gain exemption” the netizen added netizen also took a sarcastic dig at resident's of Gujarat's alternate alcohol securing option,“Liquor allowed in GIFT city! Meanwhile Mount Abu, Udaipur, Diu and Daman...”Another netizen quipped how the employs of Gujarat's Diamond Research and Mercantile City, also known as DREAM City would be reacting of Shivalik Real Estate Institute Chitrak Shah shared on microblogging site X, formerly known as Twitter, how investors must be feeling with the decision. Shah shared a GIF which showed Bobbt Deol dancing to Jamal Qudu, a snippet from the movie Animal, which also stars Ranbir Kapoor the state in which Mahatma Gandhi was born, the manufacture, storage, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages have been banned in Gujarat since its formation exemption had never been granted in any area of the state in the past access permits will be given to owners and employees of companies in the GIFT City and temporary permits will be given to their visitors who can go to such hotels and restaurants to consume alcohol present, outsiders visiting Gujarat can buy liquor from authorised outlets by obtaining a temporary permit. The opposition Congress, meanwhile, opposed the decision Congress President Shaktisinh Gohil says,“I am very upset... Gujarat, being the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi... has been away from alcohol and liquor. Gujarat government has decided to lift the liquor prohibition in Gandhinagar's GIFT city... I wonder who gave them so much money that they decided to lift the prohibition... Alcoholic products are available despite the prohibition. Instead of tightening the prohibition policy, they are trying to remove the prohibition from the backdoor... Gujarat was flourishing because of the liquor ban... I demand that this decision should be reverted...”The DREAM city in Surat which houses recently inaugurated diamond bourse has also demanded exemption from prohibition. In the past, former chief minister Shankarsinh Vaghela had demanded that the ban on liquor be lifted in the state.

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