Team Herald
PANJIM: Despite several liquor manufacturing units having closed operations in the State, revenue generated by the Excise Department is increasing annually.
According to the Excise Department there is a an average increase of Rs 50 crore for the last four years and this year the target is an additional Rs 50 crore as against last year’s revenue, Assistant Excise Commissioner Satyavan Bhivshet said.
The officer said that out of 53 liquor manufacturing units, 30 are operating and the others had either closed due to losses or are on sale. Of these 30 operational liquor manufacturing units, two produce beer, 12 produce wines. Between wine and beer, the department earned Rs 82 crore, with beer alone contributing Rs 79 crore and wines Rs 3 crore.
The department has collected Rs 47 crore in last two months of this financial year and is targeting Rs 358 crore. In 2015-16, the revenue collection was Rs 315 crore, whereas in 2014-15 it was Rs 268 crore and in 2013-14 it was 235 crore.
Bhivshet said that no liquor manufacturing unit has been sealed for any Excise Act violation, adding that illicit liquor is not produced in permitted liquor manufacturing units. “Whenever we receive information we conduct raids and searches, but illicit liquor has not been found in any unit,” Bhivshet said.
He added that such activities may occur in private properties, and that one such case was booked by the department last year, which will be chargesheeted shortly, he added.
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10,000 bar & wholesale licences issued
Rising demand for liquor and an increasing number of tourists, has led to the State Excise Department granting over 10,000 licences to bars and wholesalers.
Excise Department has revealed that 10,884 licences have been issued. On an average 300 licences have been issued by the Excise Department to new establishments in the State annually. Excise Department had issued 9604 licences till 2012 but in the last four years, the department issued 1280 fresh licences most being in the beach belt and in towns.
Excise officials said that for the last financial year, Rs 17 crore was collected from the annual renewal of licences and this year the department is expecting to collect an additional Rs 1 crore through renewals.
There are three categories for issuing licences and renewals, the annual licence renewal fee in villages is Rs 4000, in urban areas it is Rs 6000 and it is Rs 12,000 for licences in cities and the beach belt.
Excise officials said the highest revenue is collected from the beach belt followed by the cities where people also obtain seasonal licences for temporary shacks and restaurants in the tourist season.
