Lucknow, Jun 15 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh is all set to emerge as a hub of distilleries, with as many as 13 new distillery plants being set up with an investment of Rs 20,000 crore.

The state government has been making sustained efforts for reforming the field of excise through various policies and making it free from the dominance of liquor mafia.

The state will soon become an exporter of liquor and will also provide liquor to other states and countries.

It is worth stating that in the last five years, the number of distilleries has increased from 61 to 78 with an investment of about Rs 6,500 crore.

Due to this, the alcohol production capacity of the state has increased from 170 to 270 crore bulk litres and the production of ethanol also went up from 42 to 115 crore bulk litres.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recently laid the foundation stone of 13 distillery plants to be set up with an investment of Rs 20,000 crore in the ground breaking ceremony.

Two distillery plants are being set up in Bareilly and Shahjahanpur while one each in Deoria, Amroha, Rampur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Gorakhpur and Sitapur.

Sanjay Bhoosreddy, Additional Chief Secretary, Excise and Sugar Industry and Cane Development Department said that the investment has increased due to the end of mafia raj and corruption in the state.