UP reports 6.7% hike in revenue collection in August; signals improvement in economic activities

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh has registered a year-on-year increase in its August revenue signalling an improvement in economic activities in the state amid the pandemic, the government said.

Total revenue collection in the month of August increased by more than Rs 600 crore or 6.7% as compared with the same month last year, at Rs 9,545 crore, finance minister Suresh Khanna said.

The increase in revenue collection in August has been part of a steady improvement in the state’s finances. In July, the state’s collection had been almost at par with the collection taken place last year in July, with 97% of the revenue having come in.


The improvement this month has been led by an increase in excise revenue that registered an almost 23% increase year-on-year at Rs 2,310 crore. GST/VAT collections reported an increase of 4% at Rs 5,329.58 crore.

Additional chief secretary of the excise department Sanjay R Bhoosreddy owes the spurt in excise revenue to the changes in excise policy that were introduced in January this year, which had shifted formalities to the digital mode.

"Paperwork for label and MRP approvals that would earlier involve about 8,000 files have now been done away with and have been made automatic and come within a span of 48 hours now, that would earlier take almost four months," Bhoosreddy said.

Added to this, the state had allowed liquor shops to re-open from May and have since remained open, even during the weekend lockdowns when all other shopping complexes and malls were asked to remain shut. Prices for certain categories of liquor was also increased to give a boost to revenue while sale of ethanol-based sanitisers proved to be a major money spinner for the department, helping it rake in more than Rs 100 crore revenue up till July.