: Uttar Pradesh’s excise department’s annual revenue rose to ₹57,722.26 crore in the 2025-26 financial year, which the department claimed was the highest ever revenue generation. The target set for the 2025-26 fiscal was ₹63,000 crore.
The figure marks a growth of 9.79%, an increase of ₹5,149.19 crore compared to the ₹52,573.07 crore revenue generated in the 2024-25 financial year. The target for the 2026-27 financial year has been set at ₹71,278 crore with a special focus on export policy.
Addressing a press conference at his residence in Lucknow on Monday, state excise minister Nitin Agarwal said the key catalyst for this success was the department’s aggressive push toward modernisation and transparency through the Integrated Excise Supply Chain Management System (IESCMS).
“By making core functions online, the department has streamlined licence and permit issuance, established end-to-end tracking of the liquor supply and enhanced overall operational oversight,” he added.
“Additional measures to curb revenue leakage include digitisation of internal correspondence and personnel management via the ‘Manav Sampada’ portal, introduction of high security excise adhesive labels and QR-code based tracking to verify authenticity and prevent duplication,” Agarwal said.
The minister also attributed the department’s success to smart enforcement, including deploying automated number plate reader technology at checkpoints to monitor transport vehicles.
“Alongside revenue growth, the department has intensified its crackdown on the illicit liquor trade. Enforcement data for the 2025-26 financial year (up to March 2026) shows that authorities registered a total of 1,09,077 cases, resulting in the seizure of over 28.08 lakh litres of illicit liquor,” he said.
“Additionally, 19,935 individuals involved in illegal business were arrested, with 3,721 sent to jail and 143 vehicles used in the smuggling of illicit liquor were impounded,” the minister added.
In reply to a query if the ongoing conflict in West Asia will impact liquor rates, he clarified that the liquor rates were determined in the new policy (2026-27) for one year and will not change due to the crisis there.
Meanwhile, for the 2026-27 fiscal, the renewal and allotment of retail liquor and beer shops have been conducted through an e-lottery system. In the first phase of the allotment process, specifically through the renewal mechanism, 25,613 liquor shops were successfully renewed. Subsequently, 811 shops were allotted through the first phase of the lottery. The process for allotting the remaining 1,506 shops is currently being carried out via an e-lottery.
UP capital Lucknow generated the highest ₹ 2,580.80 crore excise revenue followed by Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) with ₹2,418.50 crore, Ghaziabad ₹1889.26 crore, Kanpur Nagar ₹1,846.60 crore and Agra ₹1718.15 crore.
www.hindustantimes.com
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