BENGALURU: In spite of Corona mutant virus fears and prohibitory orders, liquor worth thousands of crore vwas sold on December 31, bringing in Rs 150.94 crore in excise revenue till 4 pm. Excise Minister H Nagesh claimed that the actual figure is Rs 161 crore. This is a slight increase over the last year’s figures. But as compared to the sale of liquor over the entire week, this year has seen a decrease. Nagesh said, “The weekly numbers could be less because of the many restrictions in place.”
Prohibitory orders were in place in Bengaluru from 12 noon on December 31 till 6 am on January 1, dampening the party spirit. A senior Excise official told The New Indian Express that majority of consumers would have picked up liquor earlier, and the December 31 figures could be just indicative.
“These figures are only a broad indication, although the actual consumption could be way higher. The sales over the last few days have brought in revenue worth Rs 571 crore to the state’s coffers,” he said
On December 28, Rs 166 crore revenue was earned, on December 29, it was Rs 131 crore and on December 30, it was around Rs 40 crore, Excise officials said.
On December 31, 2.23 lakh boxes of Indian Made Liquor (IML) were sold, earning a revenue of Rs 120.21 crore, and 1.73 lakh boxes of beer flew off the counter, bringing in Rs 30.73 crore revenues, Excise Department sources said. On the same day last year, 3.62 lakh boxes of IML and 1.30 lakh boxes of beer were sold, earning Rs 119.97 crore in revenues.