The prolonged closure of bars and on sales of alcoholic beverages in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak of Covid-19 in the beginning of the 2020-21 financial year had raised fears among officials in the excise department over their revenue targets being met.
However, sales have been anything but sluggish in some of the districts in North Karnataka.Haveridistrict, for instance, has registered record sales of beer across the state, with 96.1% of the stock being cleared in the recently concluded financial year. Kolar (94.4%), Chitradurga (90.7%) and Chikkaballapur (90%) have slotted in behind Haveri in second, third and fourth slots respectively.
However, the division topping the charts in terms of revenue generation is Kolar (125.8%), with Ballari (112.4%), Chikaballapur (109%), Chitradurga (106.3%) in close pursuit.
In South Karnataka, Mysuru, which had achieved 93.9% of the target and Bengaluru (90.3%) divisions have performed well, while Mangaluru, which had achieved 88.4% of its revenue target, has rung in cheer for the excise department along the coast.
Furthermore, sales of liquor in March 2021 have been robust, comparable to what was registered in the corresponding month in 2020. As on March 19, 53.2 lakh boxes of alcohol had been sold, against a total of 60 lakh boxes in the whole of March 2020. The three divisions in Bengaluru Urban south, north and west have registered the highest sales in March.