In the last two years, the Gujarat government issued licenses to 28 hotels in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar districts for selling liquor, the state legislature was informed, Monday.
Of these 28 hotels that were given permission to sell liquor, the majority — 20 hotels — are located within Ahmedabad city, while four others are located in the state capital Gandhinagar, the government stated in a written reply to a question asked by Congress MLA Imran Khedawala during the Question Hour.
The other hotels that received similar permissions, two are located in Ahmedabad district, while two others are part of Gandhinagar district.
The names of the hotels were not part of the reply given by the state government which in 2023 allowed employees and authorised visitors of GIFT City — which is part of Gandhinagar district — to consume liquor in designated “wine and dine” areas within licensed hotels, restaurants and clubs. Gujarat being a dry state prohibits unauthorised consumption of alcohol.
There has been a 35 per cent increase in revenues for the state from the tax imposed on liquor sales from such outlets in the last two years, the reply further stated. Between February 2023 to January 2024, the state earned ₹14.45 crore on revenue from liquor sales. The earnings rose to ₹19.53 crore between February 2024 to January 2025, the reply added.
According to Gujarat’s Prohibition and Excise department, alcohol can only be purchased from only authorised vendors which includes 77-odd places and hotels — listed on the government website — in the state from where alcohol can be purchased. These hotels sell both domestic and foreign brands
