The Prohibition and Excise Department of the erstwhile district of Karimnagar is reaping riches with record sale of liquor during the first two months of the financial year 2018-19.
In the month of April and May this year, the sales of beer had increased to 12,07,724 cases when compared to the last year sales of 10,09,139 cases in the first two months. Similarly, the IML sales had increased to 3,96,660 cases in first two months when compared to 3,74,824 cases in last year. The Department revenues had also increased from ₹ 259.16 crore to ₹ 299.95 crore during this year first two months. Talking to newsmen here on Saturday, Karimnagar Deputy Commissioner (Prohibition and Excise) M. Venkatesh Netha said that there was 20 % increase of sales of liquor and 6 % increase in IML. The revenue increase was 16 % over the last year, he added.
The Department had provided financial assistance of ₹ 8.78 crore to 439 gudumba-affected persons for taking up alternate self-employment schemes. He said that they had also set a target of planting 24.50 lakh saplings mostly palm trees during ensuing Haritha haram programme.
On crime detection aspects, he said that they had detected a total of 1086 cases from January this year to May end and arrested 533 persons. They had seized 859 litres of ID liquor, destroyed 15,750 litres of wash, seized 4,542 kgs of jaggery, seized 1,548 litres of IML and 2,625 litres of beer and 21 vehicles. They had seized 4.76 kgs of ganja and eradicated ID liquor menace.
