State excise collections rise 17% in H1 FY'11

The Karnataka excise department has registered a 17 per cent rise in its revenue collections at Rs 4,078 crore for the first six months of the present fiscal-ended September 30, 2010, compared to the corresponding period last year. During the first six months of the last fiscal, the department had mopped up Rs 3,482 crore.

Talking to reporters here on Thursday, Karnataka minister for excise M P Renukacharya said the government has set a target of collecting Rs 7,500 crore for the present fiscal, which is a rise of 14 per cent over last year’s collections of Rs 6,565 crore. The state has witnessed sales of 53.9 million cases of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) during the April-September period of this year, showing a growth of 7.3 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The minister, after reviewing the performance of the department for the first six months of the year, said, “The department of excise has conducted raids on many liquor shops and booked cases of MRP (maximum retail price) violations in the state. The officers have also identified 541 centres selling illicit liquor across the state and have also destroyed 219 such centres. The remaining centres will be destroyed in phases.”

Renukacharya said the department has also conducted raids on various places in Shimoga, Hassan and Bangalore, and seized 300 kg of marijuana. The excise department was yet to recover Rs 251 crore outstanding dues from the excise contractors despite offering them a “Kar Samaadhan” scheme, he said.

Commenting on the present political developments in the state, the minister claimed that he never conspired against Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa-led government or the BJP. “I never hatched a conspiracy against our government or party,” he said.

He had led the 19 disgruntled legislators, including 14 from BJP to ignite a power-crisis for Yeddyurappa government, but later dissociated himself from the dissidents.

He also claimed that he had brought the rebellion, which began in September, to the notice of the chief minister. Renukacharya, who returned from the fold of rebels couple of days before the trust vote on October 11, retained his ministership.