Gurugram, Dec 24 (IANS): Sales of liquor have seen a major spike in Gurugram's east and west zones with the district recording consumption of Rs 1,518 crore over the past six months, officials said.

People in the district are gulping down liquor and beer worth Rs 300 crore every month, reveals the latest data compiled by the Gurugram Excise Department.

Officials said this is a significant increase in only six months.

"The consumption of liquor and beer has increased in the district with liquor sales in the east and west zones, marking a significant 20 percent surge compared to the previous year's collection for the same period," Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, West, Amit Bhatia told media.

"There are multiple factors resulting in the growth of revenue. These include higher social acceptability and improvement in the standard of living among consumers. All this has had a positive impact on liquor sales," he added.

Gurugram district is divided into four zones, and in the recent auction following the revocation of Delhi's new excise policy, increased customer demand led to fierce competition, causing license fees in zones to spike by more than 50 per cent.