HIGHER TAXES ON LIQUOR IMPOSED

NEW DELHI: States like Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and West Bengal have imposed 75 per cent, 70 per cent and 40 per cent additional levy on liquor, respectively. Several other states such as Karnataka and Haryana have also imposed additional taxes, although these range between 10 per cent and 20 per cent.

The Karnataka government on Wednesday also hiked excise duty on liquor by 11 per cent to mop up revenues. This hike is in addition to the six per cent that was announced in the budget.

In Uttar Pradesh, people will shell out between Rs 5 to Rs 400 more per bottle of liquor, depending on its size and the category of the drink.

Finance Minister Suresh Khanna said the hike in liquor prices is likely to earn the state Rs 2,350 crore this financial year. The increase in fuel prices will fetch Rs 2,070 crore more.

Khanna said the price of country-made liquor has been increased by Rs 5 per bottle.

Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) at the lower end will cost Rs 10 more for a 180-ml bottle, Rs 20 more for a bottle of up to 500 ml and Rs 30 more for larger bottles.

For IMFL in the premium category, the price hike will range between Rs 20 and Rs 50, depending on the size of the bottle.

Imported liquor will see a hike of Rs 100 for a 180 ml bottle, Rs 200 for a bottle of up to 500 ml and Rs 400 for anything larger.

“The hike is likely to earn revenue of Rs 2,350 crore for the state government,” Khanna said. The state governments are also allowing home delivery of liquor through e-commerce platforms.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu government too announced an increase in IMFL rates, while the police devised age-based happy hours, apparently as a crowd control measure in these

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Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and West Bengal have imposed 75%, 70% and 40% additional levy on liquor

COVID-19 times.

the price revision was being effected following a 15 per cent increase in excise duty on Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), an official release here said.

Accordingly, the rate of a normal brand of 180 ml of IMFL will go up by Rs 10, while premium ones will see a price increase of Rs 20, it said.

The Chhattisgarh government has already moved ahead on this and some other states like Punjab and West Bengal have passed orders in this regard.

Home delivery of liquor will start from May 7 in Punjab with the state excise and taxation department issuing an order for opening of liquor vends on Wednesday.