New Delhi: The Delhi government has revealed that over ₹5,000 crore was collected in taxes from liquor sales in the financial year 2024-25, while revenue from milk and milk products stood at just ₹210 crore. The figures, provided in response to a question by BJP MLA Abhay Verma in the Delhi Assembly, highlight the stark contrast in tax earnings from alcohol and essential commodities.
According to government data, ₹5,068.92 crore was collected from excise duty and VAT on liquor sales till February, whereas ₹209.9 crore came from GST on milk and milk products. The figures come at a time when the BJP continues to target the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the alleged liquor policy scam, which led to the arrest of former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and ex-Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. The scandal is seen as a key factor in AAP’s defeat in the recent Delhi Assembly elections.
The new BJP-led government under CM Rekha Gupta reported that liquor tax revenue stood at ₹5,164 crore in 2023-24, ₹5,547 crore in 2022-23, and ₹5,487 crore in 2021-22. The AAP government’s new liquor policy, implemented between November 2021 and August 2022, allowed only private vendors to sell alcohol. However, the policy was scrapped in September 2022, reinstating government-run liquor stores.
AAP had defended its liquor policy, arguing that it was designed to curb black marketing and boost revenue. However, the Delhi Chief Secretary later flagged alleged violations. Data also shows that Delhi consumed 21.27 crore litres of alcohol in 2023-24—averaging 5.82 lakh litres per day—compared to 25.84 crore litres in 2022-23.
Milk tax collections have also seen a decline, with revenue dropping from ₹365 crore in 2022-23 to ₹300 crore in 2023-24, and further down to ₹210 crore in 2024-25. The figures underline the state’s heavy dependence on liquor tax revenue.
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