SHILLONG, Sept 12: Minister in-charge Excise Kyrmen Shylla on Monday said the revenue collection of the department has tremendously increased after cases of illegal selling of liquor has come down in the last four years.

Shylla informed that the department started seeing an increase in the revenue collection from 2018-19 when it got Rs 226.21 crore followed by Rs 276.27 crore in 2019-20, Rs 375.38 crore in 2020-21, Rs 307.99 crore in 2021-22 when compared to the previous years.

“The revenue collection for 2022-23 till August this year is Rs 137 crore and we expect that it will cross Rs 300 crore to Rs 350 crore,” he said while replying in the House to a query raised by opposition AITC legislator from Rangsakona Zenith Sangma on the reason for the 33% increase in the number of retail liquor shops from 611 in 2018 to 812 in 2022.

“This is how by detecting those illegal suppliers, the revenue collection of the department has increased,” he added.

He said when there was an increase in illegal selling of liquor, the department could generate only Rs 162.66 crore in 2013-14, Rs 155.13 crore in 2014-15, Rs 170.03 crore in 2015-16, Rs 168.98 crore in 2016-17 and Rs 199.30 crore in 2017-18.

The minister said prior to 2018, the state had witnessed detection of so many cases of illegal sale of liquor.

As many as 1092 cases were detected during the year 2016-17, 1460 in 2017-18 and 1014 in 2018-18.  “However, the cases came down to 807 in 2019-20, 291 in 2020-21 and 233 in 2021-22,” he said.

Not satisfied with the reply of the minister, Zenith said there has been an increase in the illegal selling of liquor be it in Tura or Shillong during the last two years.

He cited that on the way to his residence, he could see that there were lots of ladies standing on the roadside taking (liquor in) bags and asked, “so how is it that illegal selling of liquor has been stopped by increasing the number of wine shops.”

The Rangsakona MLA further alleged that in Tura, illegal liquor is available in almost every pan shop. “Why is this information not there with the government?” he asked while adding that the increase in cases of illegal sale of liquor is affecting the businesses of the license wine shop holders.

“Therefore, it is not decreasing but it is increasing. Why is the government waiting for any complaint to be lodged? Is the government blind since any Tom, Dick and Harry knows that illegal selling of liquor is going on everywhere,” Zenith further added.

To this, the minister said that the department is not saying that illegal selling of liquor has stopped but efforts are being made to stop it and that is why such cases have come down from 1,000 to 300-200.

“We are trying to stop it completely,” he said while urging people to share information on such illegal activity as the department is always ready to take action.