The State Government on Saturday hiked the liquor prices from Rs 5 to Rs 15 per bottle as per its new liquor policy adopted on April 1.
An increase of Rs 10 would be applicable on the Indian Made Foreign liquor (IMFl), imported liquor would cost Rs 15 more per bottle. While Rs 5 extra would be charged on a beer bottle from outside the State, there would be no hike on beer brewed in Odisha. The Excise Department, which had received a severe jolt after the losing revenue to the tune of Rs 1,100 crore due to the closure of liquor shops on the national and State due to the Supreme Court ban, has set a target to collect Rs 3,600 revenue in the current financial year. Rattled by the revenue loss, the State Government tried to circumvent the apex court’s order by naming the State Highways as urban roads.
In 2015-16, the State Government had set a target to collect Rs 3,300 crore revenue but it collected Rs 2,786 crore.