Sunday, 21 January 2024 | Gajendra Singh Negi| DEHRADUN
The decision of the State government to adopt a policy of competitive pricing and allowing departmental stores to sell liquor has yielded positive results. The revenue collection from sale of liquor is witnessing an upward trend in the past two years in the State. The excise policy adopted for the year 2023- 24 has given a new impetus to the revenue collection of the department.
The department has collected revenue to the tune of Rs 3,122.69 crore till December 31, 2023 which is Rs 312 crore more than what the department collected in the corresponding period during the last financial year. With a revenue collection of Rs 3,316 crore till January 10 this year, the cash rich department is on the right path to achieve the annual target of Rs 4,000 crore in the current financial year. The annual target of the department was Rs 3,600 crore in the financial year 2022-23 against which it collected Rs 3,501.93 crore. On the other hand, the target of the department was Rs 3,202 crore in the year 2021- 22 and the revenue collected stood at Rs 3,260.35 crore. Considering the potential the government has consistently increased the revenue target of the Excise department.
It is interesting to note that the government decreased the price of medium and premium brands of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and the imported brands this year in order to make the liquor price competitive in Uttarakhand. However, the increase in sales offset the loss from decrease in the price of liquor in the State. The competitive pricing helped in a decrease in smuggling of liquor from the neighbouring States which in turn increased the sale of liquor in Uttarakhand. The decision of the department to generously grant licences to the departmental stores for sale of high end liquor brands has also resulted in an increase in its revenue collections. The department has given liquor licences to a record number of departmental stores (65) this year. The State now has 80 departmental stores which also sell liquor apart from the liquor shops.
The Excise commissioner HC Semwal told The Pioneer that the department has increased enforcement activity in different parts of the State which has resulted in considerable decrease in smuggling and sale of illicit liquor in the State.
