During Bengal’s four days of Durga Puja, liquor sales surpass Rs 600 crore

The four days of the just finished Durga Puja celebration in West Bengal brought in an incredible Rs 600 crore in state excise revenue for the government of the state.

Following a lengthy break for Durga Puja, the state government resumed work on Monday. The state finance department officials were overjoyed to learn of the calculations made about the state’s liquor sales and the amount of money collected in the form of state excise taxes.

The state excise collection has already reached around Rs 8,000 crore, or almost 45% of the planned collection of Rs 17,921.56 crore according to budget forecasts for 2023–24, according to calculations made by officials in the state finance department.

The state excise officials anticipate similarly remarkable sales of liquor and beer during the current month on the occasion of Kali Puja and Diwali, and then in December because of another prolonged festive season starting with Christmas and ending with New Year’s Eve, based on the trend during the four days of Durga Puja.

Due to two extended holiday seasons that occur at close intervals, October and January are often the busiest months for state excise and liquor sales. However, this year’s Durga Puja trend has eclipsed all prior records on this count. According to a state finance department official, “it is now almost certain that the targeted state excise collection will be well surpassed by the end of the current financial year.”

The state excise collection is expected to increase to Rs 17,921.56 crore in the fiscal year 2023–24, according to the budget projections. This is a 19.41% increase from the Rs 15,001.39 crore reported in the revised estimates for the fiscal year 2022–23.

On the other hand, according to the budget predictions for 2023–24, the state’s total tax collection is expected to rise by merely 12.69%, from Rs 79,5000 crore in the revised estimates for 2022–23 to Rs 88,595.54 crore.