During Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s third to fifth tenure (2012-22), Odisha’s excise revenue has increased by a whopping 368 per cent. It's also a matter of concern that even during Covid-19 outbreak, there was no fall in the State government’s excise revenue.
Replying to a written question by BJP MLA Kusum Tete, Excise Minister Ashwini Patra recently informed the Odisha Assembly that the State government collected Rs 1379.91 crore excise revenue in 2011-12. In 2022-23, the collection has gone up to Rs 6455.06 crore, an increase of 368 per cent.
Replying to another question, the Minister further said that the government has set a target to earn excise revenue of around Rs 7,800 crore in 2023-24.
Though the government is earning so much of excise revenue, only Rs 10.42 crore have been spent towards organising awareness campaigns to sensitise people about the harmful impact of alcohol consumption.
The development has made the apathetic attitude of the State government clear towards de-addiction programmes, alleged the Opposition. Several anti-liquor organisations in Odisha have hit the State government hard over the development.
“The government’s intention is that they can win election easily by encouraging alcohol consumption in the State. They can’t congregate youth and make road shows during election without liquor. The government doesn’t care about the State and its people, they are only concerned about winning the elections,” said Padma Charan Nayak, President of Milita Odisha Nisha Nibarana Abjijana (MONNA).
Meanwhile, the number of liquor shops in the State has also increased in the last 20 years. By 2022-23, there are 1749 deshi liquor shops, 663 foreign liquor shops, 35 military canteens, 46 beer parlour shops, and 673 beer on-shops in Odisha.
However, the matter of concern is that despite so many liquor shops, illegal liquor business is flourishing in the State. As many as 25,702 persons have been arrested in 1,56,413 cases in this connection since 2020.
Opposition BJP and Congress have slammed the ruling BJD over the increase in illegal liquor business in the State.
“Odisha has long sea beach. Had the State government used it properly, there would have been increase in self-employment, income and revenue. However, it’s a matter of surprise that the government which is ruling Odisha for so many years is getting its highest revenue in excise,” said senior BJP leader Golak Mohapatra.
“The State has been engulfed by alcohol and ganja consumption. The government is getting so much of excise revenue by ruining the poor people,” rued senior Congress leader, Suresh Routray.
However, BJD brushed aside the allegations by Opposition parties. “Nobody is telling people to consume alcohol. In Congress governed states, more people are consuming liquor than Odisha,” said BJD MLA Rajkishore Das.
The State has witnessed several protests and agitations against liquor business in Odisha. Several women have taken law into their own hands and demolished many liquor shops across the State.
As per the information provided by the Odisha government, as many as 287 persons have lost their lives by consuming spurious liquor in the State. The government has set up as many as 11 committees to investigate into the liquor consumption related death incidents in the State. However, the irony is that reports of none of the committees have been implemented so far, rued the Opposition.