With the liquor trade having increased by 20 times in the past 15 years in the State, authorities are eyeing more and more revenue from this sector.
While the State was earning a 5-per cent of revenue from the excise sector, the target is now enhanced to make it 8 per cent during this fiscal 2015-16.
Sources said that the Government is planning get both tax and nontax revenue of Rs 32,156 crore this fiscal out of which a target has been set to make Rs 22,890-crore tax revenue and Rs 9,266- crore nontax revenue. Of the total amount, the excise revenue is likely to be Rs 2,500 crore, around 7.7 per cent of the revenue.
The State has been witnessing anti-liquor protests, but ironically, the demand for liquor has also been rising.
According to a CAG report, the annual growth in field of foreign liquor was 48.15 per cent in the State during 2006-07 to 2010-11. The annual growth in case of beer consumption was 62.76 per cent while it was 31.70 per cent in case of country-made liquor.
According to official data, the excise revenue was Rs 135.35 crore in 2000-01, Rs 1,094.38 crore in 2010-11, Rs 1,499.91 crore in 2011-12 and Rs 1,780.29 crore in 2013-14. The revenue jumped to over Rs 2,000 crore during 2014-15.
And the Government is aiming to make it to Rs 2,500 crore for the current fiscal 2015-16, sources said.
Meanwhile, the number of liquor shops has been increased as per the demand. While there were only 498 foreign liquor off-shops, 130 foreign liquor on-shops and 10 beer parlours during 2000-01, the numbers rose to 1,161 foreign liquor off-shops, 417 foreign liquor on-shops and 120 beer parlours during 2014-15.
Besides, there were 243 country-made liquor shops, 567 primary outside bars, 34 military canteens and 16 liquor on-shops in 2014-15.
Youngsters and students are seen flocking to the liquor shops, for which the earning is huge from the excise sector.