Piyega India- Tabhi Jiyega India??

Centre has allowed sale of liquor in all zones, excluding containment zones, in order to deal with major drop in revenues. Long queues around the liquor shop nationwide was alarming and astonishing. By evening Delhi Government imposed 70% tax on MRP of Liquor “special Corona Fee” while other states has imposed similar high rate taxes, and to a bigger surprise, the queue was never the less. Liquor sale came out to be saviour for all State Governments during this tough COVID Time (REALLY???)  except Bihar, Gujrat(Very Courageous Of Them, Need To Be Looked As Case Study As To How Can A State Survive Without Liquor Income, When All States Can’t).

A report published by the Reserve Bank of India last September (‘State Finances: A Study of Budgets of 2019-20’) shows that state excise duty on alcohol accounts for around 10-15 per cent of Own Tax Revenue of a majority of states. In fact, state excise duties on liquor is the second or third largest contributor to the category State’s Own Tax revenue.

According to the RBI report, in 2019-20, state GST had the highest share, 43.5%, in states’ Own Tax Revenue, followed by Sale Tax at 23.5% (mainly on petroleum products which are out of GST), state excise at 12.5%, and taxes on property and capital transactions at 11.3%.

With so many other options like manufacturing, agriculture, technology, government found liquors to be the only saviour.....???

What an irony.....

And the way public are queuing up, breaking social distancing norms and precautionary measures for the liquor its really sad to see such insensitive citizens who are risking their as well as other people's life. The picture is very scary.

Where the whole nation is sitting in total shut down, many losing jobs, bearing pay cuts, industries closed, bearing heavy loss, and people crying their heart out about how they will survive, due to loss of their earning sources, I am wondering from where these liquor lovers suddenly got money from. Moreover, people are buying in huge quantities, despite heavy charges and cess levied on it as if they will never get it again.

State Government allowing sale of liquor, may earn good revenues (no doubt about it seeing the revenue figures of each state within 2-3 days), I were wondering how Bihar, Gujarat, Mizoram, Nagaland and Union Territories of Lakshadweep(liquor banned states) are surviving, and they should be provided with special government aids and funds.

This is also going to have long-lasting impacts on social and personal lives of people. Domestic violence cases against women and children would increase. The family reserve fund which were kept to meet out unseen circumstances in this hard time is been spent on liquor. Many lower income group family having liquor lovers will sleep without food and beating. How the government is going to meet the health effects arising out of it. The Government forgot about the well being of their daughters, sisters and children in the urge to raise revenue. It has also risked all the efforts of lock down till now.

Could there have been no better solution to earning revenues, than risking the life of women and children, when the government have always preached to be their well-wisher.

Courtesy

Data table-Indian Expresss

Pictures- Internet