DW BUREAU / Chandigarh The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday approved the Punjab Excise Policy 2021-22 with a projected target to mop up Rs 7002 crores through excise revenues as against the current year's revenue of Rs 5794 crore, showing an increase of 20 per cent. Overall, the Excise policy has been largely focused on providing relief to retail licensees and to keep buoyancy in liquor trade. According to a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office, the policy aimed at renewal of the existing vends, subject to lifting of additional liquor by the licensees, ensuring a minimum growth of revenue of 12 per cent during 2020-21. The revenue of current year is expected to Rs 5794 crore as against Rs 5027 crore of previous year, showing an increase of 15 per cent. The spokesperson further said that the state government is banking on the superb performance of the Excise department during the year 2020-21 despite Covid-19 disruptions, which is now slated to garner around Rs 300 crores over and above the budgeted target of Rs 5578 crore. If successful, the government would be able to jump from Rs 5073 crores in 2019-20 to Rs 7000 crores in 2021-22, an increase of whopping 40 per cent in two years. The department proposes to collect the additional revenue by increasing the quota (minimum quantity to be sold by a licensee) of Punjab Medium Liquor by 12 pc, Indian made Foreign Liquor ( IMFL) by 6 pc and Beer by 4 pc over last year respectively. In a first, the department has proposed to impose a quota for foreign liquor in Municipal Corporation areas and 'A' Class municipalities. The Excise policy has been formulated specially to give relief to those sections of the society which were affected negatively due to Covid-19. Not only has the Annual Fixed license fee for bars in hotels and restaurants been slashed by around 30 per cent but the fee on consumption of liquor (assessed fee) has also been reduced. The Annual Licence fee for marriage palaces has also been reduced by 20 per cent. This relief will go a long way in supporting the badly affected hospitality sector during the Covid phase. The Policy allows Renewal of existing vends subject to lifting of additional liquor by the licensees. It is likely to bring stability in the liquor trade and will also generate additional revenue for the state exchequer. The government has not increased the incidence of taxes on country liquor thereby maintaining the last year liquor prices for the consumers. (editor@dailyworld.in)