Koverkolli Indresh
Bengaluru, Dec. 11: Liquor sales in the state have declined significantly this year, especially beer sales. According to official data from the Excise Department, while 278.79 lakh boxes of beer were sold in 2024, only 227.62 lakh boxes were sold in 2025 (from April to October). That is, a decline of exactly 51.17 lakh boxes was recorded.
Due to this, it is said that the Excise Department, which is the main source of revenue for the state government, is not collecting revenue as expected.
407 lakh boxes of IML were sold till November 2024, while sales till the end of November this year have come down to 403 lakh boxes. That is, the sales have fallen by 4.36 lakh boxes. The government has repeatedly increased the price of alcohol, which has raised the question of whether alcohol lovers have sought an alternative. It is also said that alcohol sales have fallen due to the marijuana-opium epidemic.
The Siddaramaiah government has increased the price of alcohol four times since it came to power. In the year 2024-25, the excise department collected Rs 35,530 crore. Revenue. In the previous year, it collected Rs 34,629 crore. The excise department has been given a revenue target of Rs 40,000 crore for the year 2025-26. But it is said that the possibility of reaching this target is low.
Sales decline in Kodagu too
A small district, Kodagu used to be ahead in alcohol sales. But sales have also declined here for the last three years. In the year 2023-24, 5,75,117 boxes of Indian-made liquor (IOI) were sold in the district, and in 2024-25, 10,72,855 boxes and 6,65,186 boxes till the end of November. Last year, the average 4-fifth page of liquor sales was 90 thousand boxes per month, while more than 7 lakh boxes of liquor should have been sold in 8 months. But the sales are 60 thousand boxes less than the average. Beer sales have recorded a significant decline, with 7,77,254 boxes of beer sold in the year 2024-25, and even though 8 months have passed in this financial year, only 3,26,435 boxes have been sold. Beer sales are likely to decline by 35 percent this year. Despite the decline in sales, the government's revenue has not decreased
The excise department has received an average of about Rs 14 crore in revenue from Kodagu for the last three years. It received Rs 14 crore in 2023-24, Rs 14.1 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 13.9 crore in the first 8 months of this year. Sources said that the revenue is expected to reach Rs 16 crore this year. The excise officer said that the revenue has not decreased due to the price hike.
Increase in the use of drugs and ganja in the state?
People drink alcohol for intoxication. Therefore, as the government increases the price of alcohol, it is said that alcohol lovers are turning to illegal ganja, MDAAA and opium for intoxication. The youth has now started using synthetic drugs and ganja for intoxication, which is said to be one of the reasons for the decline in alcohol sales.
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