Amid the ongoing festive season, liquor sales in the national capital hit a new record with over Rs 447.62 crore in revenue generated in the fortnight through the sale of over 3.87 crore bottles, officials reported on Saturday (November 2). According to the information released, a massive 3.87 crore bottles (including 2.98 crore bottles of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and 89.48 lakh beer bottles) were sold in the last 15 days (from October 15 to October 30) from liquor stores run by four corporations of the Delhi government, generating Rs 447.62 crore in revenue for the excise department.
Officials noted that while October 31 (Diwali) was marked as a ‘dry day,’ with no liquor sales across the country, significant purchases and sales took place on Diwali eve (October 30), with a total of 33.80 lakh bottles sold. This single-day sale alone yielded a revenue of Rs 61.56 crore.
Excise Department earns revenue of Rs 3,047 crore in first half of financial year
Based on the data released, the current year appears to be a recovery period for the excise department, which has seen a 7 percent growth in revenue generated during the first half of the financial year (April-October 2024) despite setbacks due to the withdrawal of the 2021-22 liquor policy.
While liquor worth Rs 2,849 crore was sold in the first half of the 2023 financial year, the revenue generated in the same period this year reached Rs 3,047 crore.
Moreover, the total excise revenue, including VAT, earned between April and October 2024 stood at Rs 4,495 crore, compared to Rs 4,188 crore during the corresponding period of the previous year.
“These figures are despite disruptions in the ESCIMS software in September and the transition to the eAbkari system in October. Revenue flow is steadily being streamlined and scaled up,” a senior official said.
Retail liquor business hit by COVID, withdrawal of 2021-22 liquor policy
The retail liquor business in the national capital took a hit first due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was later exacerbated by the withdrawal of the new excise policy launched by the Delhi government.
However, excise officials now expect improved sales and revenue in the coming months, as the department’s operations have resumed normalcy with the appointment of a new excise commissioner. The position, which had been vacant for many months following the transfer of the previous commissioner, has now been taken over by Ravi Jha, a 2011 batch IAS officer.
(With inputs from PTI)
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