The liquor consumption in Guwahati has increased by around 20 per cent.
According to official data, this year from January to November, the people in Guwahati consumed a total of 1.36 crore litres of liquor including IMFL – 76.27 lakh litres and beer – 59.69 litres.
In 2018-19 (April-March), the total quantity of liquors consumed by the people in the city was 1.01 crore litres including IMFL – 59.36 lakh litres and beer – 41.95 lakh litres.
In 2017-18 (April-March), the total quantity of liquors consumed in the city was 78.37 lakh litres including IMFL – 50.53 lakh litres and beer 27.83 lakh litres.
A media report quoted a source in the excise department as saying: “There is an increase in the consumption of liquor in Guwahati.”
The source revealed that there is around 20 per cent increase in the consumption of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and around 50 pc increase in beer consumption.
As per the report, in 2018 from January to October, the people in Guwahati consumed IMFL – 68.27 lakh litres while the consumption of beer was 46.74 lakh litres.
It has been reported that due to the increase in liquor consumption in the city, the revenue collection by the excise department has increased by 31 per cent.
The report quoted a source in the excise department as saying: “There is an increase of 31% in the excise revenue from Guwahati.”
According to the media report, in 2018-19 from April to November, the excise department collected revenue of Rs 226.74 crore while the excise department’s revenue collection in 2019-20 from April to November increased to Rs 297.62 crore.
In Guwahati, the excise could collect revenue of Rs 189 crore in 2017-18.
However, it has been reported that due to the closure of wine shops in the city in the wake of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, the excise department incurred a loss of around Rs 5 crore.