State sees record sale of liquor worth Rs 200 crore during Holi

Kolkata: Bengal witnessed a record sale of liquor worth Rs 200 crore from Thursday till Sunday during the Holi festival. The average sale has been Rs 50 crore per day.

Interestingly, though liquor shops were closed during the day on Friday to commemorate the occasion of Dol festival, the liquor lovers thronged the shops when they opened up in the late afternoon.

On Friday itself, Rs 70 crore worth liquor sale was registered.

According to sources in the state Excise department, the sales have been much higher in comparison to last year during the corresponding period. The country liquor sales topped the list followed by foreign whisky.

There was a state holiday on Friday for Doljatra and usual holidays on Saturday and Sunday. Queues at the liquor shops were found from Thursday itself.

Bengal had witnessed a record sale of liquor worth Rs 720 crore just ahead and during Durga Puja last year leading to a generation of excise revenue of around Rs 550 crore.

During the year end and New Year period there was an average sale of Rs 70 to 75 crore liquor per day for a period of nine days.