Noida guzzled liquor worth over Rs 9 cr on New Year

Noida: Liquor worth over Rs 9 crore was sold across Noida and Greater Noida on December 30 and 31, an Excise department official said on Monday.

Gautam Buddh Nagar, adjoining Delhi in western Uttar Pradesh, sold liquor worth nearly Rs 140 crore in December alone, District Excise Officer Rakesh Bahadur Singh told PTI.

Of the total liquor sold in December, there were 1.5 lakh cans of beer, 8,900 bottles of foreign liquor, and 2.5 lakh (250 ml packs) of 'desi' (country-made) liquor, according to the officer.

"Total liquor sold on December 30 and 31 is estimated worth Rs 9 crore while the total liquor sale in the month of December 2022 stood at Rs 139.60 crore.

"The total revenue earned for the state exchequer in December was 23 per cent higher in 2022 as compared to 2021," Singh said.

The district excise department said there are 98 shops with permanent bar licenses, while another 82 occasional licenses were issued for the new year celebrations.

Gautam Buddh Nagar has around 550 liquor shops across Noida and Greater Noida, the officer said.