Still, no takers for 113 excise zones

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One of the reasons behind this is the threats issued by the gangsters, besides economic constraints.

Excise and Taxation Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh said they had earned a revenue of a revenue of Rs 12,615 crore by auctioning 1,081 zones.

Though identical number of zones had been auctioned as compared to the previous year, twice the revenue had been generated by the department so far, said Singh, adding that they would successfully conclude auctions within a few days, and surpass the fixed targets set by the state government.

The licence fee generated during the previous year from auctions that continued till August 2024 was Rs 7,025 crore.

As a retail liquor vendor licensee can operate two vends in each zone, more than 2,150 retail liquor vends had been successfully opened within the first three weeks under the new Excise Policy, said Singh.

The Excise Commissioner said the police had taken strict action against criminals found to be indulging in the threatening and extortion of licensees.

Under the direction of the Chief Minister, the Haryana Home Department has been closely monitoring criminals attempting to disrupt the excise auction in certain parts of the state.

Following action against such criminals, the excise auctions had seen increased participation from prospective bidders, resulting in the successful auction of more than 125 zones with a revenue of Rs 1,370 crore in the past two weeks, he said.

As the Cabinet had approved the Excise Policy for an extended period of almost two years, up to March 31, 2027, the department had been able to earn significantly higher revenue compared to the last year’s auction, added Singh.

In the previous round of auction, which took place on July 3, the department successfully auctioned 21 more zones, generating a revenue of Rs 215 crore, he said.