MUMBAI: Maharashtra has registered a 25-30 per cent dip in the sale of Indian-made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) since the announcement of demonetisation.
“From the available data, we have found that the sell of IMFL has come down by around 25-30 per cent till Monday. Usually, we analyse the data on a monthly basis, but according to the information we are receiving from across the State, the drop is visible,” said State Excise Commissioner V Radha on Tuesday.
On the other hand, the State has experienced an increase of 5-10 per cent in the sell of country liquor. “One of the reasons is the government’s decision to shut down over 850 toddy shops. Those who were frequent buyers of toddy have now turned to country liquor,” said Ms. Radha.
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According to the government figures, the State has collected Rs. 7,022 crore in revenue from April 2016 to October 2016. In the last fiscal, the State had collected Rs. 6,799 crore in the corresponding period. “We have a target of Rs. 15,000 crore in the present fiscal. In 2015-16, the revenue was around Rs. 12,500 crore,” she said.
According to Excise Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the department will achieve its target by introducing a number of measures to control illicit liquor trade. “We are in the process of finalising the hologram policy, tenders for which will be floated within 15 days.”
In addition, the Excise Department is bringing in a change in the policy that allows a liquor permit holder to store maximum of 12 bottles. “The change will limit the storage of bottles to two,” he said. The department has released toll-free number 18008333333 and WhatsApp number 8422001133 for registering any complaint on illegal liquor trade or production.
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