Bacchus lovers raise a toast!

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 20

Bacchus lovers in the city have a reason to cheer this time! The draw for Jalandhar liquor vends was held today in the district and it seems that no syndicate would be formed this time around, thus the liquor prices are likely to remain low this time.

Out of the 47 zones in Jalandhar city, Jasdeep Kaur Chadha group has managed to get the allotment of 12 zones of Milap Chowk, Sodal Chowk, Chogitti, Industrial Estate, Reru Chowk, Maqsuda, White Diamond, Rama Mandi, Johal Market, Model Town, Rattan Manni, and Basti Danishmanda areas.

The auction of liquor vends was held at the local Red Cross Bhawan today and fetched a whopping Rs 484. 45 crore in the presence of senior officers of the district administration. This time, there has been a jump of Rs 72 crore from the last year.

The Excise Department received 4,936 applications for all 80 groups including 2,207 applications for the liquor vends within the Municipal Corporation (MC) limit.

Likewise, 1,004 applications were received for the liquor vends in Jalandhar-I including Phillaur and Goraya and 1725 for Jalandhar-II comprising Adampur, Kartarpur, Bhogpur, Alwalpur, Kala Bakra, Kathar, Nakodar, Shankar, Shahkot, Lohian, Nurmahal, Bilga, Jandiala, Jandusingha, Lambra and others.

Last year’s scenario

The prominent woman liquor baron Jasdeep Kaur Chadha managed to get the allotment of as many as 43 out of 47 zones in the Municipal Corporation and four others in high-sale rural areas, including Kartarpur and Bilga. Government had fetched a whopping Rs 411.29 crore from the auction of liquor vends in Jalandhar district held at the local Red Cross Bhawan. The government fetched Rs 253 crore from the auction of the liquor vends within the MC limits. Likewise, it also earned Rs 116.49 crore and Rs 41.80 crore from the auction of liquor vends in rural areas of Jalandhar II and I, respectively.