Lucknow, Feb 10 (IANS): Small is sometimes big and the statistics of the Uttar Pradesh Excise Department prove it.

The 180 ml liquor bottle, known as 'pauaa' in the local parlance, has played a key role in raising excise collections, keeping up spirits and helping the state revenue to firm up steps on the road to recovery during pandemic.

The figures of state excise department reveal an interesting story.

The sale of 'pauaa' or quarter, mainly country liquor, has recorded a sale of 65 lakh cartons a month from just 35 lakh cartons that were sold every month earlier.

One carton has 50 quarters, the average cost of each is Rs 65.

'Pauaa' sale proceeds have risen to Rs 2,275 crore a month.

The excise collections in January this year were a staggering Rs 3,472 crore, registering a 127 per cent increase as compared to same month in 2020, when the sale was Rs 1,694 crore.

The excise duty on liquor is playing a key role in recovery of state's revenue and the pint-sized 'pauaa' has become a profit churner.

Additional Chief Secretary (Excise) Sanjay Bhoosreddy said, "Our continued crackdown on illicit liquor has almost wiped out hooch and liquor mafia, and as a result, consumers are buying safe and better-quality country liquor which explains the increase in sales."

There are over 15,000 country liquor shops in Uttar Pradesh, out of the total 27,500.

He further stated, "Since the British period, the basin along the Ganga, Yamuna and other major rivers and terai region have been safe sanctuaries of liquor mafia. They manufactured illicit liquor and smuggle it through boats making heavy profit. I restructured the enforcement wing after taking charge and the liquor mafia is almost wiped out, resulting in an impressive sale of country liquor."

The distilleries also manufactured lakhs of litres of sanitizer per day and exported it to all states during the pandemic.

Sources, meanwhile, also attributed the rise in desi liquor sales to prohibition in adjoining Bihar.