Introduction

The Excise Directorate under the Finance Department, Government of West Bengal plays the twin role of mobilizing resources for the State and also managing a sector that has a significant social and public health import. The Directorate is concerned with the regulation related to the manufacture, supply, distribution and sale of liquor and other intoxicants in the state, and the collection of state excise duties, fees and other monies derived from such manufacture, distribution, sale and regulation. The Directorate achieves these objectives by, -

• a) granting and regulating licenses for the manufacture, wholesale and retail sale of liquor and spirits used for the manufacture of liquor;
• b) authorizing the manufacture and / or sale of brands of bottled liquor in the state, through a process of registration of brands of foreign liquor, colored and flavored spirit, and country spirit, and of the labels under which they can be manufactured and / or sold;
• c) regulating the movement of liquor, and spirits used for the manufacture of liquor, into, throughout and from the state, through the grant and administration of relevant import, export and transport passes;
• d) monitoring and maintaining records of inventories of liquor, and spirits used for the manufacture of liquor, at all the liquor-manufacturing, wholesale and retail locations in the state;
• e) operating mechanisms for the collection of state excise duties on liquor, and fees and other levies charged and imposed by the government on the manufacture, distribution, and sale of liquor;
• f) carrying out enforcement activities against the illegal manufacture of liquor, and against the distribution and sale of such illegally manufactured liquor, and liquor on which the requisite state excise duties and / or fees have not been paid;
• g) carrying out enforcement activities against the manufacture, distribution, sale and possession of narcotics; and
• h) regulating the manufacture, supply, distribution and sale of spirits and narcotic drugs for medicinal and industrial purposes, through the issue and administration of relevant licenses, permits and passes.

In short, the main objective of the Excise Department is to manage the supply-chain of liquor and other intoxicants in the state, with a view to ensure that all liquor and other intoxicants manufactured or otherwise available in the state, are sourced through legal channels, and to prevent the loss of revenue due to the government on account of excise duties and fees.

Organizational Structure

There are broadly three wings under the Excise Directorate, namely, Revenue, Human Resource and Enforcement, each under a Special Excise Commissioner who assist the Excise Commissioner in the Excise administration of the State. There are Additional / Senior / Joint Commissioners of Excise under each wing as follows: -

Sl. No.	Special Commissioner Post(s)	Additional/SrJoint/Joint Commissioner Post(s) under Special Commissioner	Ordinary     Jurisdiction      /     work allotment
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
1.	Special                Excise Commissioner (Revenue)	Additional/Sr Joint/Joint Commissioner (Revenue – I)	Distilleries & Warehouses Section   Matters relating to Industrial and Medicinal Alcohol (at Excise Directorate level)
		Additional/SrJoint/Joint Commissioner (Revenue – II)	Foreign Liquor Section
		Additional/SrJoint/Joint Commissioner (Revenue – III)	Retail Establishments; Statistics & Analysis Cell
2.	Special                Excise Commissioner (Enforcement)	Additional/SrJoint/Joint Commissioner (Enforcement – I)	The following Excise Divisions including Excise Districts / Zones under the division:   Jalpaiguri Excise Division; Malda Excise Division; Krishnanagar Excise Division; Kharagpur Excise Division & Narcotics Cell, Excise Directorate

Sl. No.	Special Commissioner Post(s)	Additional/SrJoint/Joint Commissioner Post(s) under Special Commissioner	Ordinary     Jurisdiction      /     work allotment
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
		Additional/SrJoint/Joint Commissioner (Enforcement – II)	The following Excise Divisions including Excise Districts / Zones under the division:   Alipore Excise Division; Barrackpore Excise Division; Bardhaman Excise Division; Durgapur Excise Division.
3.	Special                Excise Commissioner (HR)	Additional/SrJoint/Joint Commissioner (Head Quarters)	Organization Section Establishment Section
		Additional/SrJoint/Joint Commissioner (Training)	Training Section
		Additional/SrJoint/Joint Commissioner (Law)	Law Section

There are Superintendents of Excise under the different sections of the Excise Directorate as follows: -

Sl. No.	Additional      /      Sr      Joint/Joint Commissioner Post(s)	Superintendent of Excise Post(s) under Additional / Sr Joint/Joint Commissioner	Ordinary Jurisdiction / work allotment
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
			Durgapur                Excise Division.
6.	Additional/SrJoint/Joint Commissioner (Head Quarter)	Superintendent of Excise (HR-I) shall be designated as Superintendent of Excise (HQ)	Organization Section Establishment Section
7.	Additional/SrJoint/Joint Commissioner (Training)	Superintendent of Excise (HR-II)	Training Section
8.	Additional/SrJoint/Joint Commissioner (Law)	Superintendent of Excise (HR-III)	Law Section
9.	Additional/SrJoint/Joint Commissioner (Systems)	Superintendent of Excise (Systems)	Systems / I.T Cell
10.	Additional Commissioner (Central Investigation Section)	Superintendent of Excise (Central Investigation Section) - I	Central         Investigation Section
11.		Superintendent of Excise (Central Investigation Section) - II

FUNCTIONS OF DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE EXCISE DIRECTORATE

1. Establishment Section :-

This section looks after the service matter of the employees of all ranks in the Excise Directorate including the officers belonging to the West Bengal Excise Service. In addition, this section is also entrusted with the processing of all applications regarding grant of all kinds of retail Excise Licenses.

2. Distilleries & Warehouses Section :-

This Section looks after manufacture and supply of Country Spirit in the State. The Section also monitors manufacture and supply of rectified spirit by the distilleries of the State, regulates imports of Rectified Spirit for potable purpose and administers the provisions of the W.B. Molasses Control (Regulation, Storage & Transport) Notified Order, 1986 in the State. Compilation of different reports and returns in connection with consumption of intoxicants and collection of revenue is entrusted to this Section. The purchase of Excise Opium for medical purpose and its distribution to all Opium Depots over the State through districts treasuries is done by this Section. Regular meetings, conferences, seminars, etc. at the Excise Directorate are also arranged by this Section.

3. Law Section :-

This Section is responsible for proper representation before different legal forums in cases where the Department is a party and to take steps to defend and protect the interest of the Department in such cases.

4. Foreign Liquor Section :-

The Section looks after the manufacturing and supply of Foreign Liquor in the State. This Section regulates import of ENA and other kinds of Spirit required in the manufacturing of potable Foreign Liquor. The Section controls export of India made Foreign Liquor and supply of the same out of India.

5. Organization Section :-

The Section looks after among other matters construction, repair, maintenance of Buildings, Barracks, Warehouses, Lands of the Excise Department including their up- keeping etc. The Section also oversees the supply of office furniture, apparatus, instruments, uniforms, stationeries and vehicles – both Government and hired. Budget and allotment of fund to the outlying districts and organisations under the control of Excise Directorate, which is essential for running the day to day administration is done from this Section.

6. Excise Divisions :-

Under the general control of the Excise Commissioner, West Bengal, there are now eight Excise Divisions – two in Jalpaiguri administrative division, three in Burdwan administrative division and three in Presidency administrative division. Each such Division is headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Excise. There shall be a striking force under the control of the Deputy Commissioner of Excise in each Division. This striking force comprises of Superintendent of Excise, Additional Superintendent of Excise, and Deputy Excise Collector(s), Sub-Inspector of Excise, Assistant Sub-inspector of Excise and Excise Constables.

7. Narcotic Cell :-

This Cell is entrusted for prevention and detection of crimes relating to Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and prosecution of offenders under the Act.

8. Special Section :-

Administration relating to Industrial Alcohol and import of Rectified Spirit for medicinal purposes are also entrusted to this Section.

9. Training Institute :-

This institute imparts both theoretical and practical training to the new entrant Excise officials of different cadres as well as organizes in-service training programmes for the officers at different training institutes viz. Police Training College, Administrative Training Institute, National Academy of Central Excise and Narcotics etc.

10. Computer Cell :-

There is a Computer Cell in the Excise Directorate under the general control of Excise Commissioner and is headed by an officer of the rank of Additional / Sr. / Joint Excise Commissioner who is assisted by two Deputy Excise Collectors. This cell is entrusted to look after the e-governance programme in the Excise Directorate.

11. Statistics and Analysis Cell :-

The Statistics and analysis cell is headed by one Additional / Sr. / Joint Commissioner of Excise (Statistics and Analysis) at the Excise Directorate under the general control of the Excise Commissioner, West Bengal. This cell shall be manned by such officers and personnel as may be arranged by the Excise Commissioner from within the sanctioned strength of Excise personnel.

12. Central Investigation Section:

The primary object of the Central Investigation Section is to offer an effective resistance to organized smuggling by means of combined action on the part of the officers of different districts and of divisions. The duties of the officers posted here are: --

• (i) To receive from, collate and distribute to all districts the information regarding smugglers and offences against the Excise and Narcotic Laws.
• (ii) To advise in local investigation when necessary.
• (iii) To receive information from, to collate it and to distribute it to other states / country, between which and West Bengal inter-state smuggling is known or suspected to exist, and to arrange for the co-operation of the Excise officers of our state and elsewhere in making enquiries and dealing with offenders.

13. Chemical Examination Laboratory :-

The Laboratory is headed by the Chemical Examiner to the Government of West Bengal. He is assisted by two the Deputy Chemical Examiners. The Laboratory is entrusted with the analysis of samples of seized intoxicants sent by different Investigating Officers detected under the B.E. Act and the N.D.P.S. Act. The reports of such analysis play an important role in prosecution. Besides this work the Laboratory also tests samples of different intoxicants received from manufacturing units and warehouses. Special Section also sends samples to this Laboratory for analysis and test to oversee as to whether the manufactured products conform to the prescribed standard and norms.

14. Internal Audit Unit :-

Internal Audit Wing at Excise Directorate is an independent organization under Excise Commissioner. This Wing is headed by one Deputy Commissioner (Audit & Accounts) who is assisted by three Assistant Commissioner (Accounts) & three Auditors.
The main function of this Wing is to ensure that the existing regulations and procedures are being carried out in proper manner in respect of Govt. Receipts & Expenditure. The Unit is responsible for scrutinizing and detecting irregularities in assessment and levy of State Excise Duty and different Fees payable by the holders of Licenses in accordance with the provisions of the Bengal Excise Act, 1909 and N.D.P.S Act, 1985 and the rules framed thereunder.
This Unit also helps in replying the queries raised by Hon’ble Public Accounts Committee, C.A.G. of India, Principal A.G. (Audit), West Bengal & A.G. (E.R.S.A.), West Bengal.

Staff Pattern and Strength:

Group “D”(Including Duftry Office Peon, Farash, Darwan, Sweeper)	19	6
Total	7205	2326

Acts Administered:

Following Acts and rules framed thereunder are administered by the Excise Directorate, West Bengal: -

• 1. The Bengal Excise Act, 1909 (Ben. Act V of 1909),
• 2. The Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (Central Act 61 of 1985),
• 3. The West Bengal Molasses Control Act, 1973 (W.B. Act VI of 1973).

Acts Administered:

Excise Revenue collection for the last 5 years with growth rate
Year	Revenue (Cr.)	Growth rate (%)
2014-15	3581.77	19.37
2015-16	4015.12	12.10
2016-17	5226.16	30.16
2017-18	9340.05	78.72
2018-19	10590.72	13.39

  

eGovernance Initiatives under the Excise Directorate:

The West Bengal Excise Directorate plays the twin role of mobilizing resources for the State, and managing a sector which has a significant social and public-health import. Till a couple of year back the Excise Directorate, under the West Bengal Finance Department, had been operating on legacy manual-based systems, using antiquated procedures that had not been changed for decades. The department displayed the typical symptoms of an inefficient, over- bureaucratic organization:

Keeping the revenue-potential of the directorate and the sensitivity of the liquor-sector in mind, the Government embarked on a major process-reengineering initiative for the Excise Directorate during 2014-15.

The reengineering initiative involved the implementation of Information Technology solutions for departmental processes. This was done through the “eAbgari” project developed and implemented with the technical assistance of National Informatics Centre, and it has been the single-most transformational factor in the way the Excise Directorate functions.

The Directorate’s services are now delivered online. This has eliminated entire administrative layers involved in the processing of service requests. Earlier, service requests had to be made through paper applications, which had to travel from table to table, and involved an enormous amount of paperwork. After the implementation of eAbgari, liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers make most service requests – applications for Import Permits, License Renewals, Registration of Brands etc – online. The eAbgari software validates the requests for compliance with existing rules and procedures. Fewer officials are involved in the processing of the requests. This has drastically reduced application processing times as well as chances of error.

The key components of the eAbgari project includes web-based mechanisms for the grant and renewal of state excise licenses, issue of permits and passes for the import, export and transport of liquor, registration of brands of liquor manufactured or sold in the state, automated inventory management of liquor at manufactories, wholesalers and retailers, e-payment of excise duties and fees, GPS-based mapping of liquor businesses in the state and grievance-handling systems. Seamlessly integrating a wide array of modern ICT technologies - the web, bar-codes and QR codes, SMS, BI Tools, GIS - eAbgari has significantly reduced service-delivery times for the West Bengal Excise Directorate and has greatly enhanced the department’s regulatory capabilities.

Specifically, state excise process standardization & simplification are done through technology enabled business process re-engineering in eAbgari to render the following e- Services:-

G2C Services

• Robust Grievance lodging mechanism
• Delivery of life saving drugs to CCUs within 90 % reduced time and ease of availability
• Web based universal access to the services offered by the directorate
• Enhancement of enforcement activities through use of GI tools, use of anti-evasion tools like GPS based tracking of spirit movement and real time monitoring of preventive operations of the directorate
• Hassle free and easy availability of laboratory spirits for educational institutions
• Availability of information related to administrative process flows for services rendered
• Pendency checker and service request status information through the web and SMS services

G2B Services

• Grant and renewal of State Excise licenses
• Issuance of Permits/Passes for Import/Transport/Export of Bulk Spirit & Packaged Liquor
• Registration of labels for Packaged Liquor
• Enabling hassle free collection mechanism for Excise duties and fees thru’ ePayment Gateway
• Automated inventory management at business premises

G2G Services

• 360-degree profile of licensees of the directorate, brands registered in the State, and various permits and passes requisitioned and executed
• Use of Business Intelligence tools in data aggregation for administrative intervention and policy formulation
• Plugging of revenue loopholes
• Streamlining and systematizing Inter-departmental and Intra-Departmental information resulting in increased efficiency in Administration, cutting down response times and delivering better services
• Dynamic dashboards for officers for monitoring of pendency and traceability of decisions across the hierarchical set up for fixing up responsibility and accountability
• Reconciliation of every drop of spirit imported or manufactured.

G2E Services

• Digital archiving of documents & information
• Easy & error free record maintenance and data retrieval
• Easy access to rules regarding their domain of work through State Excise Portal & Knowledge Intranet
• Anti-evasion tools built into the system for checking frauds and malpractices and authenticating payment information of Excise taxes by assesses

eGovernance Awards & Recognition:

The eAbgari project was awarded the National Award for eGovernance 2017-18 (Silver) for “Excellence in Government Process Re-engineering” by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievance, Government of India. Earlier the eAbgari project received the Award of Appreciation from the CSI Nihilent Foundation ranking among the top 20 projects in the country in November 2015 and also was awarded the 2014 Skoch Platinum Award of Excellence as one of the best projects in the country.

Major Achievements of the Excise Directorate during the F.Y 2018-19:

A. Strengthening of the regulatory framework in the potable liquor manufactories -

• (i) Finalized introduction of automated system for measurement of spirit and related control in the manufactories of all kinds of potable liquor to minimize human intervention and to bring transparency in control mechanism in such manufactories. This reduces the incidents of wastage of spirit drastically during processing of strong spirit to alcoholic beverages. The reports generated from such arrangements have also lessened the requirements of maintenance of handwritten registers. This has resulted in seamless reconciliation and achieving of data for policy making.
• (ii) Introduction of a new system of spirit accounting and measurement by switching from the existing proof litre-based measurement system to % V/v and AL based measurement system including drafting of necessary rules and finalizing the standard operation procedures. This makes the system at per with International standard of measurement of alcohol for taxation purpose.
• (iii) In compliance to the mandate of maintenance food safety in alcoholic beverages use of food grade lubricants and de mineralized water make mandatory in the manufacturing process of potable liquor.

B. Structural re-organization and mobility support –

• (i) In order to ensure enhanced efficiency in enforcement activities and to make the Excise Administration co-terminus with the Police Administration for better co- ordination Hooghly District was trifurcated into three Excise Districts of Chandannagar, Singur and Arambagh and Murshidabad District was bifurcated into two Excise Districts of Berhampore and Jangipur;
• (ii) Two posts of Special Excise Commissioners at the Excise Directorate have been created. In order to specify the role of the Special Excise Commissioners, the work load in the Excise Directorate was demarcated under three sections, namely, Revenue, Human Resources and Enforcement and put under the overall supervision of a Special Excise Commissioner under the Excise Commissioner;
• (iii) In order to ensure round the clock preventive activities in the vulnerable areas of Excise crime of 117 Excise Circles have been upgraded to the level of Excise Stations and placed under Inspector of Excise
• (iv) The sole Chemical Examination Laboratory located in Kolkata being tasked with examination of all criminal case samples pertaining to Excise and Police Cases related to liquor and intoxicants, coupled with NDPS samples and industrial samples in many cases, has often left the laboratory overburdened, which in turn has adversely affected prosecution of Excise cases in Courts due to its inability to deliver test reports in time two Regional Chemical Examination Laboratories have been created at Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman and Siliguri in Darjeeling.

C. Policy level interventions for optimization of excise revenue -

• (i) Duty on 50 degree Under Proof packaged Foreign Liquor has been rationalised.
• (ii) To optimize the production capacity existing country spirit bottling plants such manufactories are allowed to manufacture of 50 degree UP Foreign Liquor at Country Spirit Bottling Plants.
• (iii) Rationalization of opening and closing hours of different categories of retail licenses.

D. E-Governance initiatives –

• (i) Deployment of the revamped eLicensing Module with end to end process flow for electronic handling of retail license applications from submission till grant of demat digitally signed license to applicants.
• (ii) Various new modules launched like Export Pass for Country Spirit Module, Supply of Customs Duty-Free BIO products to Star Category hotels through the WBSBCL Module, Production and eReturn module for Breweries, QR Coded Hologram Tagging module for breweries, Warehouse Daily Monitoring System and Breakage Analysis Tools, Destruction of Expired and Unfit packaged liquor Module etc.
• (iii) Deployment of an integrated system with all Police Commissionerates for single window clearance of Excise Permits and Licenses in Police Commissionerate areas.
• (iv) Deployment a system for automated renewal of retail licenses in a seamless fashion.
• (v) Redesigning and upgrading the eAbgari Spirit Accounting and Inventory Management System following administrative decision to switch from the existing Degree Proof and LPL based measurement system to % V/v and AL based measurement system.

RESULT

Collection of Excise Revenue has gone up from Rs. 9340 Crores during 2017-18 to Rs 10590 crs in the year 2018-19 registering a growth of 13.39 %.

Contact Details of Key Officials:

Sl. No .	Name	Designation	Phone No.	Fax No.	e-Mail Address
1.	Dr. S Uma Sankar, IAS	Excise Commissioner, West Bengal	033- 22259779	033- 22216205	ec.wb- excise@nic.in
2.	Sri         Gautam Ghosh, WBRS	Special     Excise Commissioner, HR & Revenue	033- 22374032	033- 22216205	igkg65@gmail.com
3.	Sri         Subrata Biswas, WBRS	Special     Excise Commissioner, Enforcement	033- 22379143	033- 22216205	specialcommissione renforcement@gmail.com