New Delhi, May 05: Gurgaon residents are way ahead of their Delhi counterparts when it comes to polishing off their drinks.
While alcohol sales in Delhi increased by 14 per cent last fiscal, the corresponding figure in the Haryana city stands at 78.59 per cent.
Alcohol sales in the Capital rose to Rs 1,630 crore in 2009- 2010, slightly exceeding the government’s estimates, according to excise officials.
But the sales figure of Rs 295.23 crore in Gurgaon till this February comes as a surprise. Though this excise collection is lower than the Capital’s, it is impressive, given Delhi’s population is much more than the satellite town’s.
“ In the same time in 2009, we had collected just Rs 165.22 crore, which makes it a jump of 78.59 per cent this year. The consumption of both country- made and English liquor has seen a rise of nearly 35 per cent,” said an official in Gurgaon.
In Delhi, the revenue collection through sale of liquor has seen a significant rise in last nine years considering the state government’s total collection from sale of liquor in 2000-’ 01 was just Rs 560 crore.
—Agencies