Bhubaneswar: No more new liquor shops will be opened in Odisha, Excise Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said on Thursday. There are 1,163 foreign liquor off-shops, 702 on-shops, 19 on-clubs, 56 beer parlours and 36 military canteens in the State.
“A decision has been taken to not give licence to open any new liquor shop in the state. We will come up with a new excise policy next year. Efforts are on to bring in some clarity to it. It will undergo a complete overhaul with an aim to ensure strict ban on illegal sale of liquor,” he told reporters.
Earlier, there were reports that newly-elected BJP government is considering implementing a gradual liquor ban in the state.
Stating that society is suffering due to alcohol addiction, Social Security Minister Nityananda Gond had said that the government would explore the feasibility of imposing prohibition in the state after consultations with the Excise and other relevant departments. The Excise Department, however, had then denied any deliberation or plan mooted to ban liquor in the state.
Odisha generates huge revenue from liquor sales. Excise revenue collection increased by about 367% from Rs 1,379.91 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 6,455 crore in 2022-23. Data from the excise department indicated revenue collection saw continuous growth except in 2020-21 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The revenue growth jumped by 36.39% in 2021-22 with collections of Rs 5,528.41 crore compared to Rs 4,053.51 crore in 2020-21. The main source of excise revenue comes through imposition of duty on India-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and beer.