Puducherry, Dec 1 (Agency) Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on Monday turned down the request of the government to revoke the special Excise Duty (Covid tax) levied on liquor in the union territory and issued orders to continue the special excise duty for another two months. In her order issued here tonight the LG said that the Covid situation in the UT is just stabilizing and we have got a series of festivals in the anvil namely Christmas, New Year and Pongal etc. The Covid status of the UT vis-à-vis that of neighbouring states of Tamilnadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh needs to be studied by the ICMR and their views be taken before tinkering with the existing arrangements.
Hence, the status quo of levy of special Excise duty on liquor will be continued for two more months, ie, till January 31 next year in all the regions of the UT at the rates already notified, she said adding that the files may be submitted after festival season is over.