In a landmark achievement, the UT Excise Department has allotted all 97 retail liquor vends for the Excise Policy Year 2026-27, a feat accomplished for the first time in the last decade. The auction process witnessed an overwhelming response from bidders and generated bids worth Rs 563.78 crore against a reserve price of Rs 453.05 crore, resulting in an increase of Rs 110.73 crore, or approximately 24.44 per cent, over the reserve value.
Leadership and Guidance
The achievement has been realized under the leadership and guidance of Nishant Yadav, Deputy Commissioner-cum-Excise Commissioner, and the supervision of Pradhuman Singh, Collector Excise. “The successful auction is expected to generate the highest-ever excise revenue for the Union Territory and significantly strengthen Chandigarh’s revenue base,” said the DC, adding that the Excise Department has set an ambitious revenue target of Rs 1,000 crore for the Excise Policy Year 2026-27 and is well-positioned to achieve this milestone.
Strong Start to Excise Year
The Department has also recorded a strong start to the new excise year. As on May 31, 2026, excise revenue collections stood at Rs 199.78 crore, achieving nearly 20 per cent of the annual revenue target within the first two months of the financial year. “This performance reflects the effectiveness of policy measures, strengthened enforcement mechanisms and efficient revenue realization efforts,” stated Yadav, adding that the enhanced revenue realization would contribute towards the development and welfare initiatives undertaken by the Administration for the benefit of the residents of Chandigarh.
Top Bids
A liquor vend at Palsora village bordering Mohali had received the highest bid of Rs 16.71 crore against the reserve price of Rs 11.41 crore at the first e-auction of vends under the Excise Policy 2026-27. Last year as well, the Palsora vend had received the highest bid. Then, it had gone for Rs 14 crore against the reserve price of Rs 10.22 crore. The second highest bid of Rs 12.27 crore was received for a vend in Dhanas against the reserve price of Rs 9.62 crore and the third highest bid of Rs 11.52 crore was received for a vend in Sector 61 against the reserve price of Rs 8.21 crore.
Comparison with Previous Year
During the Excise Policy Year 2025–26, the department had collected Rs 965.71 crore as revenue, while five liquor vends remained unsold even after several rounds of auctions. The successful auction of all vends this year marks a significant improvement and reflects the enhanced confidence of bidders in the policy framework.
