Starting Monday, it got even more expensive, with the BJP government in the state raising the excise duty on beer. Incidentally, the state has been recording a sharp dip in beer consumption, the government on Monday enhanced the excise duty on the drink by an average 17 per cent. Following Monday’s hike, excise duty on strong beer — already high at Rs 50.90 a bottle — has gone up by another Rs 9. Excise duty on mild beer has been raised by Rs 7.5, and now stands at Rs 52.50 per bottle. State’s finance managers justified the move, stating that the last time the duty on beer was hiked was in 2013.

Source: Indian Express October 24, 2017 20:57 UTC