Palamu excise office has been given a target for collecting 126 crores of rupees this financial year ending in March 2025.

Till November Palamu excise team had collected 70 crore worth revenue. It's still 100 plus days left when the excise team has to collect the remaining 56 crores to match the 126 crores target. 

This financial year the target is 5 crore more as in the previous financial year it was 121 crore, said the Palamu excise superintendent Sanjit Kr Deo. 

"Last financial year our achievement against the target for 121 crore was 110 crore which comes to 91 percent. We are to repeat this convincingly this financial year too" said the excise superintendent Sanjit known by his first name most. 

However, there is a serious manpower crunch. Palamu excise office has no excise cop. There are 20 sanctioned posts of the excise constables but here it is a big nil. 

 It has only 2 excise sub inspectors as against the sanctioned strength of 6.

Sanjit said "Just see with 2 SIs the excise office works here. We are determined to achieve the target nevertheless."

Blocks of Palamu bordering Bihar like Harihurganj, Hussainabad,  Naudeeha Bazar are very prone and vulnerable to illicit liquor manufacturing and sale for the reason there is a prohibition in Bihar and illicit liquor of Palamu finds a good market there conceded Sanjit. 

Excise superintendent has a valid point when he said "Our outflow is poor. Our price of wine is high. In comparison to this wine of Punjab, Haryana made a foray into the liquor market here in Jharkhand. These states have good outflow."

About mahua flowers and fruits Sanjit said "It's a misconception here that it's Palamu's Mahua. It's Chhatisgarh's Mahua. Chhatisgarh's Mahua has overtaken the Mahua of Palamu."

On being asked if Jharkhand government can contain the arrival of Chhatisgarh's Mahua here to which the excise superintendent said "There is no law framed in Jharkhand to ban the marketing of Chhatisgarh's Mahua here."

Sources said the state government has fixed a target for 2700 crore revenue for the state by the excise department here this outgoing financial year. 

Sanjit said with adequate manpower Jharkhand can earn far more than what it has set its target for 2700 crore in the state of this financial year. 

"We have many excise offences which are compoundable. Section 68 of the Jharkhand excise act empowers the district excise superintendent to compound offences of the value of 5,000 rupees to 1 lakh" added Sanjit. 
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