The Uttar Pradesh government earned a revenue of Rs  3,314 crore through the Excise department by the sale of country liquor, India-made foreign liquor, beer and other products in the month of April this year.  It was 5.08 per cent or Rs 160.11 crore more than the revenue (Rs 3,153.32 crore) earned during the corresponding period last fiscal (2022-23).

Minister of State for Excise and Prohibition (independent charge) Nitin Agarwal held a review meeting of the department on Tuesday. He said the department was receiving complaints of overcharging by liquor vendors from different parts of the state.

Terming it a serious irregularity, he asked officials of the department to take remedial action. He said that on the complaint of overcharging or more than the price printed on liquor bottles, a fine of Rs 75,000 would be imposed and Rs 1.50 lakh on the second offence. The licence of the liquor vendor would be cancelled after the third offence, he added.

“The overall revenue collection in the state is satisfactory. Some districts are laggard and have failed to achieve the monthly revenue target,” he pointed out. He directed the deputy and joint commissioners of the department to conduct weekly reviews of revenue collection and ensure that targets were achieved.

Appreciating the performance of the enforcement wing of the Excise department, the minister said it should continue to focus its attention on preventing manufacturing and sale of spurious liquor. He said the consumption of spurious liquor leading to death of poor people was a blot on the image of the government.