Govt auctions liquor vends

Tribune News Service

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Patiala, March 27

The Excise and Taxation Department today auctioned the liquor vends for the financial year of 2015-16 through a draw of lots in all districts of the state. The draw was held peacefully with the successful bidders asked to deposit security that has been reduced from 15 per cent to 10 per cent.

The department against the targeted sum of Rs 150 crore, had received application money amounting to Rs 291 crore. This means that against the revenue target of Rs 5,040 crore, the department will collect Rs 5,180 crore.

Excise officials said the successful contractors were asked to deposit one per cent of the license fee. The fee within municipal corporation limits was two per cent.

The security amount was reduced to 10 per cent. The remaining 90 per cent will be recovered in nine instalments. Excise and Taxation Commissioner Anurag Verma said, “We are hopeful that the new excise policy will be more consumer friendly.”

221 vends allotted in Ropar

The Excise Department is likely to collect Rs 99.68 crore from the Ropar district this year as a total of 221 liquor vends were allotted through a draw today. Last year, the revenue was Rs 91.82 crore.

Deputy Commissioner Tanu Kashyap said they received 2,218 applications for the allotment of 221 liquor vends. This included 134 vends of countrymade liquor and the remaining 87 of Indian made foreign liquor.

Rs217 cr auction in Sangrur

As many as 707 liquor vends of Punjab medium liquor (PML) and Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) of Sangrur district were auctioned for Rs 217.74 crore here today. Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Sangrur, Darbara Singh, said the department had received 885 applications for seven groups of liquor vends.

Barnala collects Rs85 crore

As many as 264 liquor vends (168 PML and 96 IMFL) of Barnala district were auctioned for Rs 85.38 crore for the year 2015-16 here.