RTI exclusive: Which govt in UP opened more liquor shops in last 15 years?

Uttar Pradesh has 27,352 liquor shops that cater to its population of about 20 crore. In the past 15 years, the state has seen a significant rise in the number of these shops and the revenue generated from sale of liquor.

It is now a well-known fact that excise duty collected on liquor and the licence fee paid to operate a liquor shop are among the biggest sources of revenue for state governments in India. In a large and populous state like Uttar Pradesh, this means up to 10 per cent of the state's annual revenue. For a population of nearly 20 crore, Uttar Pradesh has 27,352 liquor shops. In comparison, Delhi, with a little over 1.5 crore people, has 850 liquor shops. In the financial year 2020-21, Uttar Pradesh earned Rs 30,061 crore in excise duty and licence fee from liquor shops.