- New liquor policy begins with record Rs 71550 crore sales value
- Excise Department expects higher revenue under new liquor policy
The New Liquor Policy came into force on Monday as traders completed all preparations to open their shops. The policy, which governs the state’s biggest source of income, will remain active until November 2027. Officials stated that the Excise Department expects strong revenue growth during this period. They noted that the old liquor policy for 2023 to 2025 expired on Sunday, after producing unexpectedly high sales. The department reported that 724 lakh cases of liquor and 960 lakh cases of beer were sold in the last two years.
The total value of these sales reached Rs 71,550 crore. In December 2023, when the old policy began, the business touched Rs 4,297 crore. Later, from January to December 2024, liquor sales rose to Rs 37,485 crore. Then, from January to November this year, the figure reached Rs 29,766 crore. Officials said the government received 80 percent of the revenue generated during the period. They added that the state also earned from application fees and license fees charged to liquor shops.
The old policy period also included separate Assembly and Parliament elections, which helped boost liquor sales across the state. However, the Excise Department has now introduced key changes to improve revenue under the New Liquor Policy. The fee for applying for a liquor shop license has increased from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. This step has already brought more revenue to the government. The annual license fee has also been revised and placed into slabs based on sales levels. Each shop within GHMC limits will pay a maximum of Rs 10 lakh every year. The slabs of Rs 1.10 crore, Rs 85 lakh, Rs 56 lakh, Rs 55 lakh and Rs 50 lakh have been fixed according to shop sales. The department has already collected one sixth of the license fee from license holders.
Newly licensed traders will begin operations under the new system from Monday. Meanwhile, officials expect traders to benefit this time as well. They said that Gram Panchayat, Parishad, Municipality and Corporation elections will take place during this policy period. They added that major events such as the Medaram Jatara will also push up liquor demand. Traders entering the market said they expect high sales due to these factors.
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