State's excise revenue touches Rs 9,500 cr in 1st 8-&-half mnths

Kolkata: The state's excise revenue has touched Rs 9,500 crore in the first eight-and-a-half months of the current 2021-22 financial year.

It is much more compared to that of the previous fiscals, a senior state government officer said, adding that the excise revenue may go up to Rs 15,000 crore by the end of the ongoing fiscal. The excise revenue stands at Rs 9,500 crore till date in the current 2021-22 financial year. In 2019-20, the annual excise revenue generation was Rs 11,236 crore. It has witnessed a growth of Rs 1,125 crore at the end of 2020-21 fiscal as the excise revenue generation has touched Rs 12,362 crore. The excise revenue in the current financial year would cross the last year's mark if the trend remains the same.

It needs a special mention that the state government has reduced the price of Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and 'Bottled In Origin' ones by around 20 to 25 percent from mid-November. A change in tax structure has ensured the reduction in liquor prices.

"We do not encourage consumption of liquor, but the revised tax slabs are resulting in a rise in the excise revenue," the officer said. Bengal had also witnessed a record sale of liquor worth Rs 720 crore just ahead and during Durga Puja leading to a generation of excise revenue of around Rs 550 crore. According to the sources in the state government, liquor worth Rs 720 crore was lifted from the warehouse of the state's sole distributor of liquor — West Bengal State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) — from October 1 to 12. The warehouse remained shut for three days on October 13, 14 and 15 for the Puja.