Lokmat News Network
Nagpur, May 27
Liquor shops remained closed for a few months last year due to Covid restrictions. The illegal liquor vendors tried to take advantage of the situation. But when liquor shops were allowed to open with certain restrictions, bumper sale was registered by shops.
In view of the lockdown situation, the State Excise Department (Excise) had set a revenue target of up to `500 crores for the financial year 2020-21. By March 2021, the target set was completed and the excise department earned a revenue of `508.01 crores. During this period, liquor shops remained closed from March 18 to May 15, 2020. After this, from 16 May 2020 to March 2021, the liquor lovers gulped around 4.48 crore liters of liquor.
According to the data from State Excise Department, 2.62 crore liters of country liquor was sold during the year 2020-21. At the same time, foreign liquor worth 1.22 crore, mild beer 61.71 lakh liters and strong beer 1.65 lakh liters was consumed. However, the figure is less compared to year 2019-20. The state excise department had set a revenue target of `591 crore for the financial year 2019-20. After which, by March 2020, additional revenue of `526.70 crore was earned. There was no lockdown during the above mentioned period. People’s economic condition was also slightly better.
Revenue Target
Year - Goal - Achievement
2019-20 -591 cr -526 cr
2020-21 -500 cr -508 cr
Year - Case - Arrested - Price of goods seized
2019-20 -2734 - 2546 - 4.06 crore
2020-21 - 2936 -2444 - 4.42 crore
Consistent action on illegal sales
Superintendent of State Excise Department, Nagpur, Pramod Sonawane said that all the squads were instructed to take action against illegal liquor sales as soon as he took charge. He has been continuously following up with his team and excise officials also took the help of the police time and again. After which people started buying liquor from shop. The shops were also closed for a few months due to the lockdown from March 2020, but the department has been successful in achieving the revenue target with opening of permit liquor shops with norms set by the administration.Despite the lockdown revenue target of `500 crores has been exceeded