Argus News - Odisha to Ditch Glass Liquor Bottles for Tetra Packs

Bhubaneswar, Feb 21: Odisha’s excise policy is undergoing a major change as the state government has decided to replace glass bottles with eco-friendly tetra packs for liquor packaging.

Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, responding to a question by MLA Sanatan Mahakud in the Assembly, confirmed that liquor will “no longer be sold in glass bottles”. “Instead, it will be available in thick paper cartons similar to fruit juice packs,” said Harichandan.

Sharing the reason behind the decision, the Odisha Excise Minister said that the move is not only in line with the excise policy but also aimed at environmental protection. Additionally, the government is encouraging recycling of glass bottles to reduce waste.

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Harichandan also revealed staggering figures about alcohol consumption in Odisha. In just 10 months, residents consumed 620 lakh London Proof Litres of foreign liquor, 1,092 lakh bulk litres of beer, and 97 lakh London Proof Litres of country liquor. The expenditure amounted to ₹6,569 crore.

“Revenue collection from liquor sales has steadily increased, with ₹7,216 crore earned in 2023-24 and ₹8,195 crore in 2024-25, reflecting a sharp rise in consumption,” revealed Prithviraj Harichandan, who is also the Minister of Law and Works.

The Law Minister’s written reply to a question in the Assembly shed light on legal cases linked to the Jagannath Temple in Puri. “Since June 2024, 700 individuals were caught entering the temple premises with mobile phones, leading to fines totalling ₹6.93 lakh,” informed Harichandan to the Assembly.

Giving the details, he said: “Nine cases were registered at Singhadwar police station, with seven resolved and two under investigation.” In addition, he said, “Eight cases were filed against unauthorized photography and video recording inside the temple, five of which have been concluded.”

Sharing the data of the Puri temple’s hundi collection, Harichandan said: “In the past year, the temple administration has collected to ₹18.59 crore from the hundi, alongside donations of 3.44 kg of gold and 33.64 kg of silver ornaments.”

The Odisha Law Minister also revealed that the temple management committee is considering special arrangements for Puri residents, possibly allocating dedicated days or time slots for darshan.