PAC slams Excise Department for Rs 1.10 crore loss in liquor fees

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Incorrect fixing of liquor license fees in Kalyan and Dombivli area caused a revenue loss of Rs 1.10 crore to the state government, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Maharashtra legislature has said.

In the report tabled in the legislature today, it asked the Excise Department to recover the amount from 132 license holders, and take action against concerned officials. Liquor license fees are determined as per the population of the place. In 2011-12, in 132 cases the Excise Department accepted license holders' contention that the population under the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) was below 10 lakh as per the 2001 census, the PAC report said.

The population of KDMC was 11.93 lakh as per the 2001 census but 27 villages were excluded from the KDMC in 2002. "After excluding the 27 villages, the population of
KDMC was 10.47 lakh, but the department collected the license fee with the assumption that it was below 10 lakh," it said.

The resultant revenue loss of Rs 1.10 crore should be recovered from 132 license holders at the earliest, the PAC directed. "Also, action should be taken against officials who have committed the mistake," it said, seeking action-taken-report in three months time.

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