GUWAHATI: The Assam Excise Department collected ₹1,930 crore in the financial year 2021-22, and 70% revenue was collected only by the sale of luxury brand liquor. The sale of other brands like elegant, premium and classic premium comprises of 30% revenue generated by excise department. The excise department approximately generates ₹150 crores as revenue from liquor sale every month in Assam.
A senior official of excise department while talking to G Plus said, “There is a huge demand for the luxury brand liquor in the market which generated 70% revenue of the total revenue generated by excise department.”
The official added that in financial year 2021 to 2022, the department generated ₹1,930 crore as total revenue, ₹2,030 crore was generated in the financial year 2020 to 2021 and ₹1,639 crore was generated as the revenue in 2019 to 2020.
The luxury brand of liquor ranges from ₹271 to ₹400 per bottle, the elegant brand ranges from ₹400 to ₹600 per bottle, the premium brand ranges from ₹600 to ₹1000 per bottle and all other bottle costing more than ₹1000 falls under classic premium brand.
Talking about the department generating less revenue compared to the previous year, the official said that in the financial year 2020 to 2021, a special cess was collected on sale of liquor because of lockdown, therefore there was more collection.
It needs to be mentioned that during the lockdown in 2020 the price of the liquor was increased as the excise department had increased the tax. The government had claimed that 25% tax was increased in all liquor segments but in the upper segments it turned out to be around 50% to 65%.
The government’s decision of increasing tax on liquor was alleged to be unplanned.