Excise Dept starts process for allotment of liquor vends

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 9

The Excise and Taxation Department has started the process of allotment of liquor vends in the city. On March 6, the UT Administration had announced the new Excise Policy for 2020-21. The policy will come into force from April 1.

In the new policy, the department has increased the number of liquor vends from 92 to 95. “For allotment of vends, the interested vendors will be able to make online bid from March 13 to March 23 and the final bid will be opened on March 24,” said an official of the department.

This time, the department has increased the Excise Duty by 10 per cent on Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), excluding high-end brands.

With imposition of cow cess in the new policy, the consumer will have to pay Rs 5 to Rs 10 per bottle extra from April 1. This cess will be levied at Rs 5 per bottle of 750 ml of country liquor, Rs 5 per bottle of 650ml of beer and Rs 10 per bottle of 750 ml of whiskey.

The new policy will help the Administration earn revenue of nearly Rs 680 crore in comparison to Rs 617 crore for 2019-20, an increase of nearly 10 per cent over the year 2019-20.

According to the new policy, the allotment of licensing units will be made through complete e-tendering system for more transparency and complete online system for issuance of permit/passes to facilitate trade and industry has also been introduced.

To curb the menace of cartelisation and monopolistic practices, a single person/entity will be entitled to allotment up to a maximum of 10 vends only.

For allotment of vends, the vendors will be able to submit fees online, whereas earlier they used to pay this amount in the form of demand draft.

This year, the Municipal Corporation has agreed to allot some space for opening of vends in Manimajra, Hallomajra and Kaimbwala.