Government collects Rs 1.14 lakh crore excise duty till Jan 2012

NEW DELHI: The government has collected about Rs 1.14 lakh crore in central excise duty till January this year, Minister of State for Finance S S Palanimanickam told Parliament today.

"The total revenue collected from central excise duty during the financial year 2011-12 (till January, 2012) is about Rs 1,14,046 crore (provisional)," the minister informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

From tobacco products, the government has collected Rs 14,804 crore, he added.

He also informed the house about cases of smuggling and the amount seized in the current and during last three fiscal years.

Until February 2012, the government has recovered Rs 1,695.55 crore from smuggled items. About 148 people were arrested in connection with these seizures, he said.

During 2008-09 and 2010-11, Rs 383.88 crore was recovered from smuggled items and 416 people were arrested during these three years, the minister informed.

On issue of black money, he said that the government has framed a comprehensive five-pronged strategy to bring back country's money stashed abroad illegally.