TN records dip in revenue from liquor sales in FY18

Liquor sales revenue in Tamil Nadu dipped by nearly Rs 200 crore for the year ending March 31, 2018, Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise, P Thangamani said today.

The total revenue from sales of Indian Made Foreign Liquor through outlets of state-run Tasmac stood at Rs 26,794.11 crore as against the Rs 26,995.25 crore in 2016-17, according to a policy note tabled by the minister in the state assembly.

The reduction in revenue was due to certain amendments made in the tax structure, the note said.

The revenue numbers in 2017-'18 include the reduction in excise and increase in VAT due to certain amendments made in the tax structure.

Of the total earnings, excise revenue generated for 2017-18 was Rs 6,009.25 crore, Sales Tax was at Rs 20,784.86 crore, the policy note said.

The excise revenue (Rs 6,009.25 crore) was before deduction of Rs 193.96 crore which was received as refund of special privilege fee and Vend fee paid in excess by TASMAC during 2012-13.

The AIADMK government in its 2016 poll manifesto had announced closure of TASMAC shops in a phased manner.

In 2016-17, it ordered shutting down of 1,000 liquor retail outlets operated by Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Ltd (TASMAC).

Working hours of the liquor shops were reduced from earlier 10 a.m to 10 p.m to the current Noon to 10 p.m.

Tamil Nadu is home for 11 Indian Made Foreign Spirit manufacturing units, seven beer and one wine production facilities.

The government has collected Rs 1.61 crore as export fee in 2017-18 by transporting 10.08 lakh beer cases to various States. In 2016-17, export of beer cases was at 5.56 lakh earning a revenue of Rs 87.09 crore.

Tamil Nadu has 3,866 TASMAC retail outlets, 1,456 bars attached to the shops. It has 26,463 people employed as supervisors and salesmen in the outlets.

On the initiatives by Narcotics Intelligence Bureau-CID, which falls under the Ministry, the policy note said, in 2017-18, 1,906 cases were detected and 1,995 persons arrested.

The department seized 11,774-kg of ganja worth Rs 12.37 crore in 2017-18.