In a first, liquor vend allottees in Yamunanagar told to submit I-T returns

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, June 7

For the first time, the Haryana Government has made it mandatory for the allottees of liquor vends to submit income tax return (ITR) documents of the past three assessment years before starting operations.

Big amendments to excise policy

• An allottee will have to submit the documents of his net worth of minimum Rs 60 lakh.
• Contractors will not be able to take liquor vends in the name of their employees or other persons.

Submit documents to start operation

These two amendments have been made to the excise policy for the first time. Therefore, no allottee shall be allowed to operate liquor vends in his zone, unless he submits the required documents to the Excise Department. — Krishan Kumar, Deputy excise and Taxation commissioner, Yamunanagar

Besides, the vend allottees will have to submit the documents of their net worth of minimum Rs 60 lakh duly certified by a chartered accountant registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).

This is being considered a major amendment to the excise policy as these will ensure that the contractors will not be able to take liquor vends in the name of their employees or other persons.

The auction of liquor zones (a group of vends) is going on in Haryana these days. According to information, a hooch tragedy took place in Yamunanagar and Ambala districts in November 2023, claiming 18 lives in Yamunanagar district and two in Ambala district.

The victims had allegedly consumed spurious liquor which was bought from a retail liquor shop in Yamunanagar district and the said liquor shop was in the name of an employee of a liquor contractor.

Sources said contractors in the liquor business took vends in the name of other persons mainly under two circumstances.

“One, if a contractor failed to deposit installments of the licence fee. Second, when a person participated in the tender process but failed to get liquor vends. Under such circumstances, the unsuccessful bidder joins hands with the successful bidders,” said a source.

After these amendments in the excise policy, these practices being adopted for doing liquor business in the past,will now stop.

“These two amendments to the excise policy have been made for the first time. Therefore, no allottee shall be allowed to operate liquor vends in his zone unless he submits the necessary documents to the Excise Department,” said Krishan Kumar, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Yamunanagar.