Nagpur: Dipsomaniacs from the Second Capital of the State had a gala in 2023 as they guzzled 2.57 crore litres of country-made liquor, 1.65 crore litres of foreign-made liquor, and 1.16 crore litres of beer in the last year, revealed the figures from the State Excise Department. According to State Excise Department statistics, between January and December, boozers from Nagpur gulped 2,57,64,542 litres of country-made liquor, 1,65,86,537 litres of foreign-made liquor, and 1,16,88,496 litres of beer.
In December alone, 22,69,602 litres of country liquor, 16,50,312 litres of foreign liquor, and 7,38,519 litres of beer were chugged by the guzzlers. During the same time, the State Excise Department also garnered ₹64.65 crore worth of revenue.
Gold Rate
28 April 2025
Between April and December 2023, the State Excise Department has pocketed ₹532.64 crore worth of revenue from liquor.
According to Excise Officials, the numbers indicate that Nagpur has been steadily witnessing a rise in the consumption of liquor, which ultimately contributes to revenue.
It is pertinent to recall that the State Government had announced a 5 per cent increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT) on liquor in hotels, bars, lounges, and clubs in Maharashtra.
The move didn’t go well with bar and restaurant owners in the State.
Even in Nagpur, the owners of bars and restaurants in the district took out a rally from Samvidhan Chowk to the Collector’s Office in Civil Lines to protest the increased VAT. The agitators raised slogans demanding the State Government to take back the hike in the VAT. More than a thousand bar and restaurant owners and staff members took part in the agitation. In addition to this, many bar and restaurant owners also observed a bandh during evening hours.
Though the increased VAT and protest came at the end of the year, this failed to keep booze lovers away from the love of their life!
– Shubham Nagdeve
