Liquor sales get 15% more profits to Karnataka govt

Bengaluru: Excise duty is a major contributor to the economic system of our state. Alcoholics have contributed huge revenue to the state coffers this year. This year has written a record for the sale of alcohol in the state than every year. The Karnataka Excise Department has got crores of income due to the sale of alcohol more than the target of the government.

The main revenue source of the state is the Excise Department. This time the government has made a huge profit from the excise department. If compared to last year, this year liquor revenue has increased by 15%. Since this year is an election year, there is no liquor sale record in the state.

Alcoholics gave a huge kick to the government’s coffers. In spite of three price hikes in the state, the sale of liquor has increased and thousands of crores of rupees have come to the government exchequer in the year 2023-24. The government had given a target of Rs 34,500 crores to the excise department. The Excise Department has collected Rs 128 crore more than the target by collecting Rs 34.628 crore in this financial year.

Rs 32,000 crore target was given to the Excise Department last year, during which the Excise Department collected Rs 29,920 crore.

This year despite the increase in price, the sale of alcohol has been brisk and the highest revenue has been collected. Since this year is an election year, the sale of liquor has also increased and political conventions and activists’ meetings have also led to reaching the target.

As bars and MRP outlets are closed from June 1 to 6, liquor lovers need to stock up by the end of this month. The Bengaluru district administration has ordered to ban the sale of liquor due to the counting of votes for the graduate constituencies and Lok Sabha elections going on in the state.

The bar will be closed from 4 pm on June 1 and will have to remain closed till June 3 due to the graduation constituency polling on June 3.

There will be a complete ban on the sale of liquor on June 4, when counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls will take place across the country. As the counting of MLC votes is on June 6, the Bangalore District Collector has ordered to close bars on that day too, and liquor lovers will not be able to get booze in the first week of June.

It is not a false that this economic achievement of the Excise Department has given a high to the government amidst the talk that the treasury is drained from all the guarantee schemes of the state government.