No takers for 45 liquor zones in Yamunanagar, fifth auction fails

The online auction process for the remaining 45 liquor zones in Yamunanagar district failed yet again on Friday evening, as no liquor contractor came forward to place a bid. This was the fifth round of auction conducted by the Excise and Taxation Department for the 2025-27 period.

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Despite the government’s efforts, there has been little to no interest from contractors, with sources attributing this to fear of miscreants and alleged pressure for “unwanted benefits”.

According to available data, the department has carved out 55 liquor zones in the district — comprising 110 retail liquor shops — with a total reserve price of Rs 484.77 crore for the 2025-27 cycle.

In the first round held on May 31, bids were received for three zones, but the process was cancelled due to technical reasons. The second round on June 4 saw only 10 zones being auctioned, fetching Rs 82.76 crore — slightly above the combined reserve price of Rs 81.01 crore for those zones.

However, subsequent attempts to auction the remaining 45 zones have been unsuccessful. No bids were received during the third round on June 6, and the fourth round scheduled for June 13 was cancelled by the government without a stated reason.

On June 20, the fifth round also ended without a single contractor applying to participate in the e-auction.

“We will soon announce a fresh date for the auction of the remaining 45 liquor zones,” said Alok Pasi, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Yamunanagar.

The continued lack of interest from contractors has raised concerns within the department, especially as the district risks falling short of its projected excise revenue unless the auctions are successfully completed.