Liquor to be sold at old prices during Puja this year

Kolkata: There is some good news for liquor lovers as they will be able to buy at old prices during the Durga Puja, thanks to the old stock still dotting the shelves of shops across the state.

Officially from August 14, with the Bengal government increasing excise duty, beer, Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and country liquor was expected to be expensive.

“The liquor shops are yet to exhaust their old stock and until they are disposed of, bottles at enhanced price will not be sold. The popular brands of beer, whisky etc will suffice for 7-10 days while the lesser sold brands will last for more or less a month. Hence, it is expected that the old price will be effective during the puja days too,” an official in the state Excise department said.

The Excise department had earned a revenue of Rs 700 crore through liquor sales during the Durga Puja last year.

As per the revised price, the cost per bottle of beer will go up by Rs 20-25, IMFL will be Rs 30 more expensive and country liquor will cost Rs 5 more.

The MRP of liquor in Bengal is determined based on the declared price, excise duty, additional excise duty, registration fee for production, distributor margin, wholesaler margin, retailer margin and a special purpose fee that the state imposes to encourage responsible drinking.

Revenue from liquor sales has been robust in recent fiscal years. In 2021-22, the state recorded liquor sales amounting to Rs 18,000 crore, generating approximately Rs 11,000 crore in tax revenue. The following year saw sales rise to Rs 21,000 crore, with tax revenue climbing to nearly Rs 15,000 crore. For the fiscal year 2023-24, liquor sales reached Rs 23,000 crore, yielding tax revenue of Rs 17,000 crore.