K'taka Excise revenue registers 30 pc increase

Bangalore, Jan 5: Karnataka has registered over 30 per cent increase in excise revenue collection at Rs 3,063 crore over the last year, as against the targetted Rs 4,060 crore during 2006-07.

Disclosing this to newspersons here, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who also holds the Excise portfolio, said the last year's collection during the same period was Rs 2,306 crore.

The department had also registered a record number of 4,551 cases and arrested 2,584 people for violating excise rules. Over 500 vehicles, involved in transporting non-duty paid liquors, were seized. The department had also seized non-duty paid products, including 51,615 litres of liquor, 34,687 litres of beer and fenny, 42,975 litres of arrack, 1.52 lakh litres of spirit and 99,920 litres of illicit liquor.

He said the Government was committed to ban the sale of arrack and a decision was expected soon. Alternate arrangements would be made to ensure that the State did not lose revenue of around Rs 2,000 crore being earned through the sale of arrack, he added.

UNI