UP aims for Rs 58,000 cr revenue target by cracking down on illicit liquor trade

Lucknow: In preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh has embarked on a mission to tackle illicit liquor trade and smuggling from neighboring states.

The state has set an ambitious target of Rs 58,000 crore for the current fiscal year 2023-24, which represents a substantial 40 per cent increase over the Rs 41,250 crore achieved in the previous year.

To achieve this formidable goal, the Excise Department has laid out a comprehensive blueprint aimed at plugging leakages in tax collection and intensifying the crackdown on illicit liquor trade and smuggling.

Nitin Agarwal, the Minister of State for Excise in Uttar Pradesh, has urged officials to remain vigilant and ensure that the periodic revenue targets are met through regular inspections and audits.

In the initial three months (April-June) of the fiscal year 2023-24, the state has already witnessed encouraging excise revenues of Rs 3,622 crore, surpassing last year’s first-quarter collection of Rs 3,146 crore by more than 15 per cent.

Agarwal has directed the department’s officials to step up their efforts in curbing liquor smuggling from neighboring states and clamp down on the production of illicit liquor and hooch within Uttar Pradesh.

Highlighting the revenue contribution from different divisions, Agarwal mentioned that Ayodhya, Meerut, and Devipatan divisions have performed exceptionally well in excise revenue collection. However, he expressed concern about the relatively lackluster performance of the Kanpur, Jhansi, and Basti divisions.

He warned the officials in these regions to improve their performance promptly or face appropriate action.

Over the past few months, the state excise department has carried out more than 2 lakh raids to crack down on illicit liquor trade. These operations resulted in the arrest of about 7,500 individuals, and over half a million liters of illegal liquor were seized. Besides excise revenues generated from the liquor trade, the state government is also eyeing an increase in tax revenue from ethanol production.