Amidst hooch mourning, liqour cash brimming in Assam

By Nayan Pratim Kumar

Although Assam has mourned the death of 125 in the ongoing hooch tragedy it is also equally happy for increasing the liquor revenue to three times.

The Paradoxical turn of event was open as the State Government made a triumphant announcement on Thursday, the very day the poor labourers consumed the liquor and invited death.

Even as Assam has mourned over the loss of more than 125 lives over hooch tragedy in Golaghat and Jorhat district, but officially it is happy with a buoyant liquor sale boasting a higher revenue from the state excise department.

Even as Rs 2 lakh per victim has been announced by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the state excise department made a triumphant announcement in the Assam Assembly, the very day the labourers had consumed the spurious liquor, that government had collected Rs3177 crores as revenue in the last 30 months.

In comparison, the previous 15 years, the revenue from excise to Assam government was Rs 4131 crores.

The Government informed the Assam Assembly that they are now collecting around Rs 1000 crores as Excise revenue per year in comparison to an average Rs 400 crore between 2008-2014.

It only confirmed that during the BJP government in Assam, the liquor sales have trebled bringing in Rs 1093 crores till January of 2019 in the 2018-2019 year.