Gujarat Liquor Permit System Upgraded, Face Recognition Replaces Fingerprints

Surat: The Gujarat Prohibition and Excise Department has upgraded its Liquor and Excise Management System, replacing biometric fingerprint verification with face recognition for issuing liquor to permit holders across the state.

With the implementation of the new system from September 1, around 55,000 valid liquor permit holders across Gujarat, including nearly 9,500 in Surat city and district, will have to update their facial recognition details before collecting their liquor quota for September.

Under the new system, permit holders do not have to visit government offices for the upgrade. They can visit the authorised liquor shop from where they normally purchase their quota, where their facial recognition details will be updated before the monthly quota is issued.

The new verification process is expected to make the system easier and faster, particularly for elderly and senior citizen permit holders who often faced difficulties when their fingerprints failed to match due to age-related changes.

The requirement will also apply to people applying for a fresh permit or renewing an existing permit. Their monthly quota will be allotted only after their facial recognition details have been updated.

However, the transition to the new system caused inconvenience to some permit holders. Authorised liquor shops remained closed on August 31 for the installation and setup of the new technology and continued to remain closed on September 1. As August 31 was also the last day for collecting the monthly quota, some permit holders who were unaware of the closure could not purchase their quota, leading to resentment among customers.

Gujarat has around 55,000 valid permit holders across different categories, including health permits, registered with the Prohibition and Excise Department. The permit system allows eligible individuals to legally purchase liquor in the state.

The upgraded system will also create a centralised record of liquor purchases. Details such as the authorised shop from which the liquor was purchased, the date of purchase and the quantity issued will be recorded on the central server in Gandhinagar.

The department expects the face recognition system to streamline the distribution of liquor quotas while strengthening the verification and monitoring of permit-based purchases. DeshGujarat