MANIPUR: EXCISE DUTY AND STRENGTHENING MANPOWER TO INCREASE REVENUE COLLECTION

Excise Department of Manipur is going to update rate of excise duty levied on liquor procured and used by military and paramilitary forces deployed in the state and the state armed forces which are exempted from prohibition. This was stated by Commissioner of Excise, Shri Ravinder Singh while interacting with media persons as a part of the ongoing series of press conferences which are being held at DIPR Office complex at Moirangkhom in Imphal, highlighting developmental activities taken up by various departments in the state.

Addressing the newsmen, Shri Ravinder Singh said, the current rate of excise duty which was finalised in 2010 is very low and therefore, it has to be updated. He said, due to low rate of the duty, revenue collection is also low comparing with other forms of revenue collection in the state. The primary responsibility of the department is to enforce prohibition under the Manipur Liquor Prohibition Act, 1991 and collect revenue in the form of compounding/fine as well as levy and collect taxes as provided in the concerned acts. He further said that the main source of revenue collection is the excise duty on the liquor procured and used by military and paramilitary forces deployed in the state and the state armed forces which are exempted from prohibition. Under the prohibition, the department, with the cooperation of police and civil society organisations, has been conducting raids at different places and confiscated cases of liquor amounting to lakhs of rupees every year.

While highlighting the target and achievements for the last five financial years, Ravinder Singh said, every year in an average, around Rs. 9 (Nine) crore have been collected, which is not much below the target of around 11 crores. On prohibition activities, he said, 2,893 cases of liquor, beer and wine were confiscated and destroyed compounding a fine of Rs. 38,63,700 in the last financial year.

On structural set up of the department, Shri Ravinder Singh said, there are 39 excise stations under three circles- Imphal, Thoubal and Bishnupur spreading all over the state. On manpower shortage of the department, the Commissioner said, out of 704 sanctioned posts, only 315 staffs are working in the department as of now. It has also to be mended and therefore, a proposal was also submitted to the government in this regard. Once, it is strengthened, activities can be enhanced and also revenue collection can also be increased. He appealed the people to cooperate with the department to ensure a full proof prohibition of liquor in the state.

Superintendent of Excise, Th. Shyamson Singh said, awareness programmes on liquor prohibition will be organised with the help of civil society organisations in the state. Nodal Officer of the department, Y. Ranjit Singh also attended the conference.