SHILLONG, OCT 1: Minister in-charge Excise Kyrmen Shylla on Tuesday said his department is gearing up to roll out the implementation of the QR code based tracking system for the different products to plug leakages and increase the revenue generation.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Shylla said that the department is in the process of implementing the QR code based tracking system to further improve its revenue generation. According to him, completion of the process may take two to three months’ time.
“When it comes to holograms, time is over for them. To introduce QR code there is a process that needs to be done. So for this we have given them extension as we cannot let the product go to the market without any trace and track. As of now the only trace and track we have is the hologram. We extend the period for the company, who supplies hologram but it’s just that for completing the process of introducing QR code, we need some time. Based on that, we have extended and it will be a matter of two – three months,” he said.
The minister said that there will be no duplicacy of products. “This is because one QR code will be for a bottle. If there is any duplicacy, the onus of responsibility will be on the company concerned,” he said.
He said that the new tracking system would not give any space for illegal activities while referring to an incident, where people are trying to make unauthorise liquor and bottling it.
Asked, the minister said, “Our revenue generation is increasing every year. This year our target is to generate revenue of Rs 500 crore plus. That will be our contribution to the government.”
The minister also informed that the department has not increased the rate and in fact the present rate is quite below the rate fixed by the Assam counterpart. Therefore, there is no question of loss of revenue to the state.
“When it comes to this last time I remember there is a practice whenever the neighbouring states increase the price, we also do it and whenever they decrease, we also follow the same procedure though the rates differ a little bit with the Assam as they are a big state and we are a smaller state and we feel that we should not go at par with them. We should always be below them but we try to be close to them also at the same time. That is how we build the relationship with the neighbouring states but this time we could not do it when they increased the price. So there is a slight effect on the revenue to the Assam government and they reduced it back,” he said.