Chandigarh (Naval Kishore): A high-level review meeting of the Excise & Taxation Department was held on Thursday under the chairmanship of H. Rajesh Prasad to assess revenue collection, enforcement measures, and policy implementation in the Union Territory. The meeting was attended by Diprava Lakra, Nishant Kumar Yadav, and Pradhuman Singh along with other senior officials.
During the meeting, officials informed that the department collected excise revenue worth ₹965.71 crore during the Excise Policy Year 2025–26. Out of 97 retail liquor vends, 96 were successfully allotted for the Excise Policy Year 2026–27. The department received bids amounting to ₹560.85 crore against the reserve price of ₹450 crore, reflecting a major increase in revenue realization. Officials further stated that the department is likely to achieve approximately ₹1009 crore in excise revenue against the fixed target of ₹1000 crore during the Excise Policy Year 2026–27.
The department also highlighted several reform measures introduced under the Excise Policy 2026–27. These include auto-renewal of labels, maintenance of real-time stock inventory by excise licensees, reintroduction of liquor licences at departmental stores, and transportation of liquor through GPS-enabled vehicles to enhance transparency, monitoring, and compliance. Under GST, the department informed that revenue collection of ₹2,454 crore was achieved during the financial year 2025–26. The Chief Secretary directed officers to strengthen enforcement activities and maintain strict vigilance over excise licensees. He instructed officials to initiate breach proceedings against violators of the Excise Policy and ensure stringent action against illegal movement and sale of liquor.
He further directed that all Custom Bonded Warehouses operating within Chandigarh must be duly registered with the department, warning that strict action would be taken in cases of non-compliance. Regarding GST enforcement, the Chief Secretary emphasized intensified scrutiny of taxpayers to detect tax evasion, bogus Input Tax Credit (ITC) claims, and fake firms. Officers were instructed to initiate legal and penal proceedings against defaulting taxpayers as per law.
The meeting concluded with a strong emphasis on sustained monitoring, coordinated enforcement action, transparency, accountability, and strict compliance with statutory provisions to safeguard government revenue.
