(Dehradun): As 2025 draws to a close, Uttarakhand’s revenue scorecard presents a mixed picture: while several departments are lagging far behind in capital expenditure, a handful continue to shine in revenue generation. Topping that shortlist is the state Excise Department, which has once again emerged as one of the government’s most reliable cash cows. Buoyed by its stellar performance in the previous financial year, when it surpassed its ₹4,400 crore target well before time, the state government raised the bar significantly for 2025-26, setting an ambitious ₹5,060 crore revenue target, a steep 17% jump.
Speaking exclusively to reporters, Excise Commissioner Anuradha Pal expressed confidence that the department remains firmly on track. “More than 90% of October revenue has already been deposited. We have also received substantial advance collections for November and December. With the ongoing efforts, we are hopeful of achieving the full ₹5,060 crore target within the financial year,” she said.
However, the road to the milestone is far from smooth. The biggest hurdle, according to Commissioner Pal, is rampant liquor smuggling across porous borders, especially from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh where liquor is considerably cheaper. “Smuggling intensifies during the wedding season and in border districts. Despite cheaper rates in UP and deliberate price slashing in their border areas as a strategy, our enforcement teams are working round the clock,” she added.
Key flashpoints include the Narsan and Bhagwanpur check-posts in Haridwar district and multiple entry points in Udham Singh Nagar, where attempts to smuggle liquor from UP are most frequent. The department has received a shot in the arm with fresh manpower infusions in recent months, significantly boosting enforcement operations. “The new personnel have made a visible difference on the ground. Seizures and penalties have gone up substantially,” Pal noted. On the licensing front, out of over 600 liquor retail outlets allotted across the state this year, more than 95% have been successfully lifted. A small number of new or disputed shops could not be operationalised, resulting in an estimated revenue loss of nearly ₹100 crore, a relatively minor dent considering the overall scale.
In another positive development, the department has already achieved approximately 95% of its ₹2,600 crore target from additional duties and surcharges. With the peak wedding and tourist season underway and the crucial last quarter of the financial year beginning, the Excise Department is pulling out all stops. Enhanced night patrolling, intelligence-based raids, and stricter monitoring at check-posts have been ordered to choke smuggling routes before March 31, 2026. If the current momentum is sustained, the Uttarakhand Excise Department is poised to not only meet but potentially breach the historic ₹5,000-crore-plus mark for the second consecutive year, providing a much-needed boost to the state’s coffers at a time when several other departments continue to struggle with both spending and revenue generation.
