Aurangabad liquor units added over Rs 62 crore to Maha revenue

Following the resumption of industrial activity in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district, the state government has earned a revenue of over Rs 62 crore from liquor units during the COVID-19 lockdown, an official said on Thursday.

Liquor manufacturing had come to a halt in Aurangabad when the coronavirus-induced lockdown was announced in March.

However, after shutting down production for more than a month, manufacturing units in the district resumed operations from the first week of May, with limited manpower of 30 to 40 per cent, the official said.

"Several big liquor companies have their manufacturing units in Aurangabad and nine of them started production from April end and early May after obtaining permissions from the state government," superintendent Sudharkar Kadam of the state excise department in Aurangabad said.

Companies with manufacturing units at Waluj, Shendra, Gangapur and Chikalthana have added a revenue of over Rs 62 crore during the lockdown, he said.

At least 7,604 companies in Aurangabad have applied for self-certification to resume work, while 5,510 units have commenced operations, a senior official said.

More than 1.6 lakh employees have reported to work at these units, he added.

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