Licence fee yet to be realised

EVEN THOUGH liquor shops in various districts of the State were established in March, the process to realise licence fee and security deposit from shopowners has not been completed.Sources said that the fee realisation process should have been completed within 15 or 20 days after the establishment of the shops.

EVEN THOUGH liquor shops in various districts of the State were established in March, the process to realise licence fee and security deposit from shopowners has not been completed.Sources said that the fee realisation process should have been completed within 15 or 20 days after the establishment of the shops.

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But the inordinate delay has caused a lot of problems for the officers of the department.

Out of Rs 50 crore, the department is yet to fulfill the formality to get Rs 7 crore and the remaining amount is realised by way of security money and licence fee.

Although the excise officials are under pressure to ensure the deposit of the remaining amount of money in the government coffers latest the August-end, there was no change in the situation by August 31.Sources said that the five month delay in the realisation of security deposit and licence fee from the shopkeepers has already caused a loss to the government which could have earned substantial money in the form of interest.

Despite the fact that the commissioner had warned the officials of punitive action if the formalities to realise the money was not completed by month-end, the delay had occurred.

The districts which have failed to realise the money are Pratapgarh, Banda, Rae Bareli, Deoria, Azamgarh, Varanasi, Allahabad, and Mainpuri.

As additional excise commissioner (licence) SC Upadhyay retired yesterday, he was not available for comments.