Liquor worth ₹400 crore sold during Diwali in UP

LUCKNOW: Diwali brought cheer for the state excise department as liquor of more than Rs 400 crore was purchased across Uttar Pradesh during the festival, excise department officials said. In Lucknow alone, liquor worth Rs 15 crore was consumed in the run-up to the festival, officials added.

With the onset of winter season, the excise department is looking at a further boost in liquor revenue. Barring beer, the sale of which has remained affected since March when Covid-induced lockdown started, the rest of the categories of scotch, countrymade, vodka and gin have registered impressive gains. Just ahead of Diwali, the government increased liquor sale timings by an hour allowing vends selling liquor to sell till 10 pm— a decision that the liquor lobby feels contributed to the profit. “We are grateful to the government to increase liquor timings and would request it to further allow sale till 11 pm as used to be the case previously,” said Kanhaiya Lal Maurya of UP Liquor Sellers’ Association.

“In October too just ahead of Diwali, liquor sales had gone up by substantially as compared to last year. We recorded sales worth Rs 2,403 crore in October as compared to sales worth Rs 1,860 crore in the same period last year. This means a rise of around 29 per cent liquor revenue over last year in October. In November so far, we have already done sales of around Rs 1,250 crore. So, the going is good,” an excise department official said.

“I think now we will make better sales as this is the period when liquor consumption goes up. Then there is Christmas and New Year celebrations to follow next month and this is the time when the sales really get a boost,” an official said.

Asked why beer sales have remained hit in the state, the official said, “Combination of factors have contributed to it. Beer is usually consumed chilled and due to corona fears people stayed away from it. Now, anyway, its winter time when beer sales takes a beating.”