LUCKNOW, March 6 -- The festival of colours brought cheers to the excise department as liquor worth around Rs.22 crore-Rs.4 crore more than last year's sale of Rs 18 crore-was sold in the state capital in a day ahead of Holi on March 3. The surge in sales came as residents rushed to liquor outlets across the city to replenish stock and thereby avoid any inconvenience on the festival day when these shops remain closed. Holi was celebrated on March 4. Giving this information, Karunendra Singh, Lucknow district excise officer, said the figure included the sale of foreign liquor, beer and country-made liquor. Several shops witnessed heavy footfall as customers queued outside premium liquor stores, composite and model shops to buy their preferred brands. Foreign liquor sales recorded a growth of around 25-30%, while country-made liquor witnessed an increase of nearly 10-12%," said Shiv Kumar Jaiswal, general secretary, Liquor Sellers' Welfare Association. Shopkeepers across the city even witnessed long lines outside their outlets throughout the day with customers purchasing liquor in large quantities for Holi celebrations. The district excise officer said around 2.9 lakh litres of beer was sold in Lucknow on March 3 alone. In addition to beer, the sale of country-made liquor touched nearly 1.4 lakh litres, while foreign liquor sales reached around 1.1 lakh litres the same day. Excise officials said the figure marks a significant increase compared to last year's Holi period when liquor sales in Lucknow were recorded at around Rs.18 crore. Officials attributed the increase to higher festive demand and the practice of advance purchasing by residents due to the closure of liquor shops on the festival day....