The much despised street-corner liquor vends, commonly known as Ahatas are soon turning into Modern Liquor Shop with an aesthetic look in the Union Territory of Chandigarh. The Chandigarh administration has proposed 16 such modern Ahatas in the city beautiful as compared to only three last year as per excise policy adopted by the Chandigarh Administration in 2007-08.

Mr Sanjay Kumar, Finance Secretary, UT Administration, said, "The Chandigarh Administration had visualized this while introducing the concept of Modern Liquor Shops where even people can walk in, take a look at the available brands lined up on the shelf, make a pick and walk away with it after making the payment at the counter."

The UT administration has slashed annual license fee to Rs 20 lakh from Rs 25 lakh in a bid to encourage these modern vends that have even attracted women customers for soft liquor brands. The new vend, equipped with tiled or wooden flooring, attractive interior and computerized billing system will not only encourage better ambiance but also check increasing drunken brawls.

Meanwhile, the administration has slashed bear rates with low alcoholic contents in a bid to discourage intake of high alcoholic liquor brands. The government has also allowed liquor producing companies to launch their own brands, reducing brand fee to Rs 2,000 per brand from Rs 5,000.