New Year revelers drank to their fill in Andhra Pradesh. The sale of liquor on December 31 was more than Rs 1200 crore, with the state earning revenue of Rs 350 crore on a single day. Tipplers have turned to be the real saviors of the government.

REVELERS IN the state drank up liquor worth more than Rs 1200 crore to ring in the New Year, on night of December 31, 2008. A delighted state government is expecting nearly Rs 350 crore as revenue from liquor sales on December 31, 2008, alone.

 
Officials gave this glad news to the CM, when he reviewed the glum financial position of the state in the wake of economic slowdown.
 

Despite fears of recession, the excise revenue recorded a phenomenal increase of 115 per cent till November 2008, when compared with last year. And the staggering sale of liquor of December 31, 2008, has taken a massive increase of 130 per cent.
 
The target income from the excise till November 2008 was Rs 3,018.46 crore whereas the actual realisation was Rs 3,410.69 crore. Income from excise department has always exceeded targets every year. All the other sectors registered a slowdown or marginal decline.
 
For the time being, tipplers have turned to be the real saviors of the government.