UP Excise Dept created 60K jobs in 4.5 yrs

Lucknow, Dec 28 (IANS) The Excise Department in Uttar Pradesh has issued licences for establishment of 12 distilleries, three breweries, 12 microbreweries and 97 sanitizer units in the state and gave approval of other licences which allowed investments of about Rs 6,545 crore and created 60,000 new jobs in the last four-and-a-half years.

Additional Chief Secretary (Excise), Sanjay Bhoosreddy said ease of doing business and simplification of existing rules have seen establishment of new industries and generation of new opportunities of investment.

"Establishment of new distilleries has helped in improving the financial condition of the sugar mills, making it easier for them to pay the cane price to the farmers and also in generating additional employment. Ten new distilleries have been established in the private sector which has increased the total installed capacity by 3,737 lakh litres and an investment of Rs 1,133 crore has been made in the state so far," he said.

The ACS said that three new breweries are going to be established in Sambhal, Sonbhadra and Barabanki.

With the establishment of these units, beer production in the state will increase to 12.48 hectolitres and Rs 165 crore has already been invested by entrepreneurs in setting up these units.

The department has also given 12 licences for establishment of microbreweries in Kanpur, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, Meerut, Agra, Lucknow, Moradabad and Bareilly.

"An investment of about Rs 12 crore has been made in establishment of microbreweries. Efforts are being made by the Excise Department in establishing wineries in the state. Subtropical fruits like mango, jamun, peach are produced in abundance in the state which can be used for the production of wine," Bhoosreddy said.