Hyderabad: The Telangana state government was aiming bigger revenues through sale of liquor in the current fiscal (2017-18). The target set was the highest ever at Rs 17,000 crore when it was more than Rs 14,184 crore during last fiscal. With the current fiscal almost coming to an end, the state government revised the targets for revenue earning departments to close the year with a good balance, of which excise department had been given the maximum target.
Accordingly, the excise department was forcing liquor shop dealers to procure an additional 30 per cent stocks in March, the last month of this fiscal compared to the same period last year. Dealers approaching government-run liquor depots to procure stocks for March were shocked to see officials forcing them to buy the additional material and pay DDs to TS Beverages Corporation Ltd accordingly.
Though a few dealers were raising objections on the ground that they would not be able to sell the additional stocks in a month, excise staff were in no mood to listen, saying the target had be-en fixed by the government and they had to simply follow the orders.
The government has been earning Rs 1,300 crore per month on an average during the fiscal. With liquor earnings contributing a major sh-are to the state exchequer, the government had been raising the revenue targets year-on-year. After the formation of Telangana State in June 2014, the revenue earnings in 2014-15 were Rs 10,150 crore. With increased targets year after year, the government could earn Rs 12,200 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 14,184 crore in 2016-17. In the current fiscal, the government already earned Rs 15,300 crore till date and expe-cted to mop up another Rs 1,700 crore in the remaining one month.
