Maharashtra: Income from liquor drops by 37 per cent

Liquor sales, one of the worst-hit amid the COVID-19-caused lockdown, have brought in Rs 2,500 crore less for the government this year as compared to 2019. In addition, beer sales decreased by 63.5 per cent. Officials believe that this is a result of people avoiding cold beverages amid COVID.

While the lockdown started in the last week of March, liquor shops were given conditional permission to reopen on May 4. According to the state excise department, from May 4 to September 27, the government has earned R4,050 crore in revenue from liquor sales.

As compared to these figures, between April 1 and September 30, 2019, the state excise department earned Rs 6,600 crore.

Also, while Rs 750 crore has come in the form of licence fees from liquor shops and bars, another Rs 200 crore is yet to come.

On the other hand, between April 1 and August 31, 2019, 14.25 crore litres of beer was sold in the state. Whereas between May 4 and August 31, 2020, this number came down to 5.19 crore litres, a decrease of around 64 per cent.

In terms of foreign liquor, 8.83 crore litres was sold from April 1 to August 31, 2019 and this year, 5.93 crore litres of it has been sold between May 4 and August 31. Indigenous liquor saw the sale of 15.14 crore litres between April 1 and August 31 last year, while this year between May 4 and August 31, it has been only 53 lakh litres.

"The closure of liquor shops throughout April and then in containment zones and red zones till June has brought down revenues," an official from the state excise department said.

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