Ahmedabad, Feb 17 (IANS) Visitors to Gujarat, India's only state where sale and consumption of alcohol is banned, can now obtain permits to buy liquor at the domestic airport.

In a state where sale and consumption of liquor is banned, the authorities are making things easier for tourists.

The liquor permit entitles a person to buy liquor at select hotels and consume it where they reside.

'The step has been taken to remove any handicap that may be there in encouraging tourism,' said tourism secretary Vipul Mitra.

Liquor prohibition in Gujarat has been a major handicap for both the leisure and business travellers. Possession of liquor and its consumption without valid permit is a non-bailable offence in Gujarat.

This, however, has not prevented the illegal sale of liquor in the state, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Gujarat government has passed a bill providing death sentence for those involved in the manufacture and sale of moonshine or any killer brew.