Punjab earns Rs 140 crore in 1st round of liquor vend auction

Chandigarh , Apr 26 (UNI) The excise policy framed by the Punjab government has evoked a tremendous response, with the state earning an additional amount of Rs 140 crore through the auction of liquor vends so far.

This was an increase of nine per cent over the last financial year. The new excise police comes into effect from May one.

While claiming the success of the policy, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here today said that this was an unprecedented and a record increase. For the last 10 years, the state had never touched the three figure increase mark and the average increase of the past five years was Rs 35 crore, that is increase of around 3.5 per cent only.

The Chief Minister stated that in the year 2006-07, the excise revenue had decreased by Rs 46.70 crore.

Mr Badal stated that soon after assuming office last month the government had considered it desirable to roll over for one month the excise policy of the year 2006-07 on the same terms and conditions and formulate a well thought out excise policy for the year 2007-08.

The Chief Minister stated that after due deliberations, the Government initiated the new excise policy which has proved to be a success.

The Chief Minister stated that in the year 2006-07 in the first round of the lottery system, 94 per cent licencing units were successfully sold. However in this fiscal year, 99 per cent were sold in the very first round.

Against the total 3136 licencing units, only 34 units remain to be sold, as against a left over balance of 239 units of the last year. The CM stated that the procedure was a very transparent lottery system carried out in the presence of all applicants, the general public and under the direct supervision of every Deputy Commissioner.

The balance of just one per cent licencing units accounting for Rs 20 crore would be disposed of in the second round on April 28.

As opposed to 40,897 applications received in the year 2006-07, 47,291 applications were received for the year 2007-08, even though the fee for every application had been raised from Rs 2000 to Rs 6000.

Mr Shivinder Singh Brar, Financial Commissioner, Taxation stated that there was no increase in the price of liquor and tere was no substantial increase in the quota allocation and in the number of vends to be opened. The state has not resorted to indiscriminate opening of vends or flooding the state with liquor, he added.

UNI