National
Gurugram guzzles over 4 lakh beer cans, 1.24 lakh liquor bottles daily
Gurugram, Jan 15 (IANS) Gurugram – the Millennium City, on an average, consumes over four lakh beer cans and nearly 1.24 lakh bottles of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and country liquor (CL) daily through authorised vends, according to Haryana government data.
And this figure does not include the liquor quota allotted to the armed forces personnel!
According to data compiled by the state Department of Excise & Taxation, Haryana has an annual quota of 53,108,852 proof litre for 2017-2018, which means 7,867,978 cases or 94,415,737 bottles.
Similarly, the state has sanctioned 89,656,412 proof litres of annual quota for countrymade liquor, which translates into 19,923,647 cases or 239,083,765 bottles.
Gurugram’s allotted annual quota of IMFL is 8,115,000 proof litres and 7,410,00 proof litre, respectively, for the West and East zones.
Similarly, CL sanctioned quota is 4,290,000 and 2,210,000 litres for the respective zones.
“Gurugram alone shares over 1.55 crore proof litre quota, the highest in Haryana, and if you add Faridabad’s share of 8,600,000 proof litre, these two districts adjoining national capital Delhi consume more than 46.6 per cent IMFL in the state,” an official said, adding that “Gurugram and Faridabad contribute nearly half of the total revenue earned through excise duty fee in the state”.
Gurugram and Faridabad also top in proof litre quota allotment in the CL category in the state. Haryana has a total of 22 districts.
As per the figure, the consumption of liquor in Mewat (Meo or Muslim-dominated) district is the lowest in the state. On an average, just 3,100 bottles were being sold daily through authorised vends in the district.
The excise duty fee for the financial year 2017-18 was Rs 45 per proof litre.
“There was no fixed quota for the sale of beer. Till December 31, in Gurugram alone, 112,750,381 beer cans were sold in nine months, which works out to a little higher than 410,001 cans daily,” he said.
Consumption of beer and its sale has gone much higher over a few years, though the figure for IMFL and CL remained almost the same.
In 2013, on an average, consumption in the Millennium City was more than 1.2 lakh bottles of IMFL and country liquor, and nearly 85,000 beer cans daily.
There was 1.34 crore proof litre quota of IMFL for the financial year 2013-14. The quota for country liquor for the same period was 62.4 lakh proof litre.
The proof litre quota of IMFL and CL for the financial year 2013-14 was same as it was for 2012-13
Both IMFL and country liquor may cost more in the state in the next financial year as the Haryana government is considering setting up a corporation for wholesale liquor trade and has invited suggestions from the public and various stakeholders for a new Excise Policy for 2018-2019.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.