With liquor sale resumed, Maha earns revenue of Rs 100 cr-plus

The Maharashtra government collected more than Rs 100 crore in taxes in three days after liquor shops in the state were allowed to reopen, excise minister Dilip Walse Patil said on Wednesday.

Sale of liquor was allowed in parts of the state as the lockdown to contain coronavirus entered its third phase on Monday.

The excise department collected more than Rs 100 crore by Wednesday night with just one third of the total number of liquor shops in the state remaining open, the minister said.

An estimated 16.10 lakh litres of bottled IMFL (Indian-Made Foreign Liquor), beer, wine and country liquor were sold on Tuesday.

The trend continued despite the Mumbai municipal commissioners decision to suspend sale of liquor in the state capital.

There are over 10,000 licensed shops in Maharashtra selling country liquor, IMFL, wine and beer, of which merely 2,967 operated on Wednesday, Patil said.

Unlike Tuesday, there were no incidents of police resorting to lathi charge or buyers violating social distancing norms on Wednesday, said an official.

Liquor shops were closed for almost 40 days due to the lockdown to curb coronavirus outbreak.

The lockdown has been extended till May 17, but standalone liquor shops were permitted to operate as part of relaxations granted by the state government.

29 lakh litres of liquor were sold in the first three days after shops reopened, the official added.