Tripura slaps fresh duty on foreign liquor

AGARTALA, April 1 ? Tripura Government has announced revised payscale for Junior Engineers serving in four specific departments under fixed pay basis and slapped fresh duty on sale and marketing of foreign liquor in state, Information Minister Jitendra Chowdhury announced on Sunday. Chowdhury said the decisions were taken in a meeting of the council of Ministers, held Saturday night. Elaborating the decisions, Chowdhury said the Cabinet approved regular pay scale for Junior Engineers working under fixed pay salary in four departments including Agriculture, Rural Development, Power and Public Works Department. The fresh pay scale would come into force from May one, 2002 and it would benefit a total 348 engineers, he said. State duty on foreign liquor, manufactured in India has been increased from Rs 100 to 120 per London proof litre (LPL), Chowdhury said. In case of beer, the duty has been hiked from Rs 8.50 to 12 per, the minister said adding canteen stores run by security forces would remain exempted from the fresh duty slap. Besides the Cabinet also approved to increase registration fee for sale and marketing of any Indian brand liquor in State, he said adding the state government would earn additional revenue to the tune of Rs five crore per year from the increased duty. The Cabinet also gave approval of the 10 year perspective plan for the forest development which set a target to increase 2.3 lakh hectors of forest land by 2011-12, he added.