Excise revenue up through sale of liquor: Minister

HYDERABAD: The State’s revenue through the sale of liquor has doubled in the last five years, but the sale of liquor has not increased abnormally, claimed Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud. Speaking in the Assembly on Saturday, Goud explained that the Excise revenue in 2014-15 was `10,238 crore. The income was doubled due to plugging of loopholes and non-duty paid liquor sales were controlled. 

He explained that the sale of liquor was up by 11 per cent in the last five years and the sale of beer was up by just nine per cent. The minister, however, said  complete prohibition of liquor was not possible. He explained how the prohibition of liquor failed in the then combined Andhra Pradesh. The Excise Minister said that they earmarked `25 crore in 2020-21 Budget for Neera. “Very shortly, Neera stall will be opened on the Tank Bund,” he said.

In his reply to the revenue demand,  on behalf of the Chief Minister, Legislative Affairs Minister Vemula Prasanth Reddy said that around 10 lakh acres of lands were in various disputes and their titles were not clear in the State. “Of the 1.7 crore acres of lands belonging to 70 lakh farmers, the titles were clear for 1.50 crore acres belonging to 60 lakh farmers. In the remaining 20 lakh acres, the titles were not proper for 3.31 lakh acres as the farmers of those lands did not provide Aadhar numbers.

For another 1.63 lakh acres, the farmers did not came forward for the mutation of lands. Another 10 lakh acres of lands are in various disputes,” the minister said.  Vemula Prsanth Reddy said discussions were still on for framing the new Revenue Bill. Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav said that shepherds who paid DDs would get sheep after June.