Guwahati: Guwahati spent an incredible Rs. 6.8 crore on liquor on November 12 and 13 during Diwali celebrations, marking a significant increase in comparison to last year. Last year during Diwali, tipplers in Guwahati shelled out Rs. 5.97 crore, with liquor worth around Rs. 2.99 crore moved during the two days of the festival.
Assam's excise department said that the city consumed spirits worth Rs. 3.71 crore on November 12 alone and worth Rs. 3.11 crore on November 13. The department also revealed that during the festive season, liquor sales have brought revenue amounting to around Rs. 22.5 crore.
In the city, Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and beer appear to be the drinks of choice. In the first eleven months of 2022, Guwahati residents consumed more than 7 lakh liters of IMFL and over 6 lakh liters of beer, totalling around 1.42 crore liters overall.
During Diwali, a huge surge was witnessed in liquor sales across various regions in the country. In New Delhi, alcohol sales raked in revenue exceeding Rs 525 crore, while Tamil Nadu reported liquor sales of Rs 476.63 crores and Uttar Pradesh sold liquor worth Rs 1400 crores.
In Tripura, liquor sales shot up in the lead up to Durga Puja celebrations as liquor shops were closed from sastami (sixth day of the nine-day Navratri festival) to Dussehra, and also on Diwali day.
Among Northeast Indian states, prohibition policy is enforced in Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland. On the other hand, liquor is priced lower due to lower rates of tax in Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. Data for these states could not be acquired.
In July, the state government had hiked the prices of alcohol in the state from 4 per cent to 25 per cent in its bid to increase excise revenue. As per reports, the timing of departmental (larger) liquor shops has also been changed as they are now allowed to remain open until 11:00 pm.
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