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The state excise department has witnessed a major shift in liquor allotments, with 40% of new licensees securing shops for the next financial year under the revised lottery system.

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LUCKNOW: Excise minister Nitin Agarwal said the changes in policy have had a positive impact on revenue, with 98.90% of liquor shops allotted in the first phase of the e-lottery. He directed officials to assist new entrants in ensuring a smooth transition.

Reviewing the department's performance on Monday, Agarwal emphasised that excise will play a key role in Uttar Pradesh's goal of becoming a trillion-dollar economy under chief minister Yogi Adityanath's leadership.

"In the financial year 2025-26, a target has been set to earn excise revenue of Rs 63 thousand crore. To achieve this target, there will be a need to increase the revenue receipts by only 20% annually, whereas at present revenue is being earned at an annual growth rate of about 12%," he said.

"In the year 2023-24, total revenue receipts were Rs 45,570.47 crore, which is Rs 4,318.23 crore more than the receipts of Rs 41,252.24 crore in the year 2022-23. Thus, there has been an increase of more than 10% in the excise revenue," he said.

He added that in the current financial year 2024-25, till the month of February, a total of Rs 42828.57 crore has been received, which is Rs1604.41 crore more than the receipts of Rs 41224.16 crore in the corresponding period of the year 2023-24.