MUMBAI, June 12 -- The cash-strapped Maharashtra government on Tuesday increased the state excise duty on Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) by over 50%, which will lead to a significant increase in retail prices by over 60%. It has also increased the duty on country liquor and imported premium liquor, which will hike their retail prices by 14% and over 25% respectively. The excise duty on beer and wine has not been increased. The government expects the whopping hike to increase its revenue to Rs.57,000 crore, up Rs.14,000 crore from the Rs.43,620 crore collected in FY 2024-25. It expects 10% of the estimated revenue receipts of Rs.5.60 lakh crore for the financial year 2025-26 to come from this. While tapping sources of revenue that would enable the drained exchequer to bear the burden of populist schemes like Ladki Bahin and sops for farmers and other communities, the Mahayuti government in January constituted a committee headed by then additional chief secretary Valsa Nair to recommend steps to increase revenue from liquor sales. The committee submitted its report in April this year, and the state cabinet agreed to this on Tuesday. Based on the recommendations of the committee, IMFL will now attract four and a half times excise duty on the manufacturing cost instead of the existing three times. "This will vary based on the manufacturing price but could lead to a huge hike of over 60% in retail prices," said an excise department official. The cost of IMFL currently ranges between Rs.120 and Rs.150 for 180 ml, which will now go up to a minimum of Rs.205. Premium brands will cost a minimum of Rs.360 for 180 ml as against their current rate ranging between Rs.210 and Rs.330. The price of 180-ml bottles of country liquor has risen from Rs.70 to Rs.80. Beer and wine have been exempted from the excise duty hike. The government has also introduced a new category called Maharashtra-made liquor (MML), which will also be exempted from the hike. MML brands, made from grains, will cost a minimum of Rs.148 for 180 ml, a price that has been strategically kept in the existing price range of IMFL to help MML capture the IMFL market....