LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh retained its number one position among all states with a record Rs 52,297 crore excise revenue in 2024-25. Releasing the provisional data on Thursday, excise minister Nitin Agarwal said that this was a growth of 15% over 2023-24 when the state earned Rs 45,570 crore as excise duty.
Agarwal also informed reporters that UP has signed memorandum of understandings (MoUs) with as many as 137 companies interested in investing Rs 39,708 crore in the excise business in the state.
Of these, 46 projects are either ready or in various stages of completion.
The projects that were already on ground have fetched investments worth Rs 10,185 crore to the state, Agarwal said, adding, "the excise department has emerged as one of the key growth engines, taking UP towards the USD 1 trillion economy goal in alignment with the vision set forth by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath."
The minister also added that UP was among the top ethanol producers in the country and was implementing technology-based solutions to streamline the liquor business.
In another achievement for the department over the past three years, not a single incident pertaining to the loss of lives owing to illegally manufactured liquor or hooch was reported across UP, the minister claimed.
Making structural changes, the state govt for the first time introduced composite liquor shops from the 2025-26 financial year, and annual revenues are expected to climb further as an increased number of liquor vends would cater to the demand for Indian-made foreign liquor and brew.
Out of the 27,308 liquor shops in UP, only about 105 are left to be taken up, while the rest have been allocated to businessmen and entrepreneurs.
Excise commissioner Adarsh Singh said, "Through the processing fees levied over the forms submitted by the applicants vying to get a liquor shop in UP, the department was able to rake in Rs 2,319 crore during the 2024-25."
Sharing more details about the production capacity of the state, Agarwal said that presently 105 units manufacturing or processing molasses, ethanol, country liquor, industrial alcohol, foreign liquor, brew, and other alcoholic beverages are operational in UP, while 21 more such units are going to come up in the months to come.
During the 2024-25, 24,049 individuals were arrested for violating laws and rules imposed by the excise department. Among them, 5,557 were put behind the bars. Additionally, 203 motor vehicles involved in smuggling liquor illegally were seized.
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