Amitabh Shukla
Delhiites prefer to celebrate New Year saying “cheers” to the year gone by. Preliminary estimates by the liquor selling corporations and private shops suggests that booze worth Rs 10 crore was sold on Saturday – the last day of 2005. This, despite a hike of 5 to 10 percent on almost all the major brands of hard liquor.
On an average, the people of the city consume booze worth Rs three crore everyday. This does not include the figures of the restaurants, bars, hotels etc. The figure has shown an increasing trend for the last several years. “The collection jumps three to four fold on festive occasions like Holi, Diwali and New Year,” said an official of the Excise department. He said that last year, the figures for New Year eve was over Rs nine crores.
“The collection of Excise in the last six years has almost doubled. This means the increasing acceptance of liquor in social functions and growth in the number of consumers. The opening of liquor shops – over 500 now – has also helped,” said the official.
Even as the city witnesses a growth in the number of those who love their evening peg, the government has developed a cold feet on lowering the drinking age to 21 and permitting a restaurant in a five-star hotel to serve alcohol round the clock.
The note of the Excise Department suggesting the lowering of age to 21 from 25 was negated by the Delhi Cabinet recently. “The Cabinet felt that it would be politically incorrect to lower the age. It would be construed as if the government wants to promote liquor in the younger generation,” said an official. He said that the issue might be taken up at a future date when there are no problems for the government to tackle.
Revenue collection from Excise
2000-01: Rs 560 crore
2001-02: Rs 606 crore
2002-03: Rs 725 crore
2003-04: Rs 740 crore
2004-05: Rs 903 crore
2005-06 Estimated collection over Rs 1000 crore
(2005)
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