UP’s excise revenue triples in past six years; Rs 42,000 crore collected

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh government has witnessed a significant boost in excise revenue, nearly tripling in the past six years. This surge has contributed a substantial Rs 42,000 crore to the state’s revenue earnings in the fiscal year 2022-23, as compared to Rs 14,273.33 crore collected in 2016-2017.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Excise, Nitin Agarwal, attributed the remarkable increase in excise duty to several factors. These include the expansion of capacity and the number of distilleries, enhanced enforcement measures, simplification of rules for issuing bar licenses, and the implementation of business-friendly norms in the state.

Agarwal stated: “The excise revenue has nearly tripled in the past six years. Uttar Pradesh had approximately 61 distilleries in 2016-2017, a number that has now risen to 98, with an additional 85 new distilleries in the pipeline. The state has taken the lead in ethanol production, generating a remarkable 153 crore litres, which is the highest in the country. Furthermore, we have witnessed a surge in the establishment of microbreweries, premium retail vends, and retro bars in Uttar Pradesh. Recently, licenses were issued for the setup of two wineries in Muzaffarnagar and Bareilly.”

Agarwal emphasized that excise duty contributes to 25 per cent of the state’s overall revenue, including that collected through GST (Goods and Services Tax). In the fiscal year 2021-22, the state government received Rs 36,321.12 crore, marking an increase of nearly 14 per cent in 2022-23. He further disclosed that the excise department’s target has been revised from Rs 48,000 crore for 2022-23 to Rs 58,000 crore for 2023-24.