Minister Directs Strategic Measures to Achieve 2025 Revenue Targets; Crackdown on Illegal Liquor Intensified
Lucknow – Uttar Pradesh’s Minister of State for Excise and Prohibition (Independent Charge), Nitin Agarwal, has stated that the Excise Department will play a pivotal role in realizing Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s vision of transforming Uttar Pradesh into a $1 trillion economy. Emphasizing the department’s significance, he highlighted that the excise revenue target for the financial year 2025-26 has been set at ₹63,000 crore, which must be achieved at all costs.
To meet this ambitious target, a 20% annual increase in revenue is required, whereas the current growth rate stands at approximately 12%. The Minister issued clear directives for strategic planning and enhanced enforcement to bridge this gap.
During a departmental review meeting held at the Excise Commissioner’s camp office in Lucknow, Agarwal revealed that in the fiscal year 2023-24, the department collected ₹45,570.47 crore in revenue—an increase of ₹4,318.23 crore over the ₹41,252.24 crore collected in 2022-23, marking a growth of over 10%. For the current fiscal year 2024-25, as of February 2025, the department has achieved revenue of ₹42,828.57 crore, up by ₹1,604.41 crore compared to ₹41,224.16 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Commending the top 10 districts for their revenue performance, he urged the bottom 10 to intensify efforts to boost collections. The Minister also noted that recent partial amendments to the excise policy have had a positive impact on revenue.
He informed that the first phase of the e-lottery for licensing has been successfully conducted, with 98.90% of shops being allotted. Specifically, management has been finalized for 15,906 country liquor shops, 9,341 composite shops, 1,323 cannabis outlets, and 430 model shops. Appreciating the efforts of officials and staff, Shri Agarwal said the success demonstrates the department’s efficiency.
He also noted that under the new excise policy, nearly 40% of licensees are newcomers. The Minister directed officials to conduct orientation meetings with them to ensure a seamless business experience.
On enforcement, Agarwal stressed the need for heightened action against illegal liquor. He instructed the division of the state into two zones, each to be overseen by dedicated officers who will personally supervise field enforcement operations. All field officers have been mandated to submit fortnightly enforcement reports to the government.
The Minister issued a stern warning regarding illegal liquor entering from border districts, particularly those adjoining Bihar. He directed that border check posts operate round-the-clock to prevent even a single bottle of illicit liquor from entering the state.
Senior officials present at the meeting included Principal Secretary (Excise) Veena Kumari, Special Secretary Gyanendra Tripathi, Excise Commissioner Dr. Adarsh Singh, along with other senior officials. District-level officers attended the meeting virtually.
