It is learnt that the State Government has collected excise revenue of whopping Rs3,300 crore during the last fiscal of 2015-16. During1999-2000 financial year, the excise revenue of the State was Rs 114.81 crore. The current rate of collection certainly is a remarkable progress and proves the mettle of the State Excise Department.
It shows the production, disposal and consumption of excise products are high in the State. The rise of excise tax annually is also one of the factors for achieving high revenue. But this rise in revenue cannot be a pointer to a sound socio-economic development of the State. The State excise management policy is exclusively framed by the State. The excise duties or taxes, especially for various States, are realised on different excise products, which include liquor or various alcoholic drinks, ganja, opium and other bi-products or tri-products of ganja like brown sugar, heroin and morphine and several highly addictive narcotics on various local names. Mainly, the excise duties are realised through different kinds of sale policies of the State. So, it is clear from the annual revenue of each successive financial year from 1999-2000 to 2016-17 that the consumers of alcoholic drinks are increasing and there is a sharp rise in the sale of alcohol and other narcotic products.
The State should know who the consumers of such contraband articles are and what effect does wide consumption of contrabands have on society. Examining the gravity of the socio-economic degeneration, our neighbouring State Bihar has banned the sale of liquors there. In every State, the female folk in general is opposing the sale of such contraband articles, which spoil the domestic lives of the people. Generally, the youngsters and the male members of the society are using contraband items and this also accounts for most of the crimes committed in the State.
Most of the families are ruined and accepting destitution only under the ominous spell of the contraband products of the State. The Police Department can give the details of crimes committed under the influence alcoholic drinks and other contraband articles. Similarly, the cases booked for secret sales of brown sugar and cannabis can also be known from the Police sources. Hence, revenue rise in excise sector should not create any euphoria.
The writer stays in the State capital Bhubaneswar. The place is very much close to a mega slum area inhabited by a majority of destitute and socially cursed people. Most of the women of the colony are deserted or semi-deserted by their husbands and these cursed ladies are leading their lives with their dependants being engaged as domestic helps in different residences of the area. Every night becomes a cursed night for the residents of the locality for anti-social activities caused by the anti-socials and the alcoholic beverages are the main reasons for such crimes.
Another example can be cited as to how our social lives are gravely ruined here. The residence of the writer is within an area, where a number of technical institutes are located including different engineering colleges. Private hostel accommodations are also available within this area. It is found here that most of the engineering students are addicted to alcoholic beverages like wine and narcotics drugs and committing different types of crimes I the area. In Chandrasekharpur area, it is very common.
Our neighbouring countries like Sri lanka, Bangladesh and the North-Eastern States in India are regularly supplied ganja cultivated slyly in the forests of Odisha. Sea route is used for the transport of the contrabands to those far-off areas. Fishing boats are the main instrument for the transaction of the ganja products. Recently, a fishing community association of Sri lanka lodged complaints that ganja and its by-products are transported to their land from Tamil Nadu via the sea-route. Now the cultivation of ganja in forest lands has become a highly profitable business. This is also a major cause of forest fire. Our ecological systems are most favourable for ganja cultivation.
The disbanding of sale of narcotic products may cause economic loss to the State to some extent, but it will have long-term benefits for the State from moral, social and economic points of view. The State Government should take cognizance of the fact and disband the sale of liquor in the State.
Again liquor is produced both from organic and inorganic bases. The liquors produced from inorganic bases are more dangerous than organic bases. The liquors collected directly from nature or prepared from natural ingredients are produced through the homemade practices. Such practices are going on since time immemorial in the tribal belt in Odisha and in Indian sub-continent. The modern method of preparation of alcoholic drinks is the assemblage of certain chemicals which spoil the human internal mechanisms and systems. So many think-tanks of the country are strongly advocating for a ban on the sale of alcoholic drinks. Gujarat and Bihar have strictly banned the transaction of alcoholic drinks and have become dry States. Odisha should follow suit.
(The writer is a former senior forest officer and an environmentalist. Tel no 9937460649)