The excise and taxation department has recorded a revenue collection of ₹965.71 crore during the 2025-26 excise policy year, with the UT administration projecting that collections will cross ₹1,000 crore in the fiscal, officials said during a high-level review meeting chaired by chief secretary H. Rajesh Prasad on Friday.
The department informed that for the 2026–27 policy year, 96 out of 97 retail liquor vends have been successfully allotted, fetching bids worth ₹560.85 crore against a reserve price of ₹450 crore, indicating a substantial increase in revenue realisation. Officials expressed confidence that excise revenue is likely to reach around ₹1,009 crore against the fixed target of ₹1,000 crore for the current policy cycle.
The meeting, attended by senior officials including secretary (excise and taxation) Diprava Lakra and commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav, also reviewed key reforms introduced under the new excise policy. These include auto-renewal of labels, mandatory real-time stock inventory by licensees, reintroduction of liquor licences in departmental stores, and GPS-enabled tracking of liquor transportation to enhance transparency and regulatory oversight.
On the taxation front, the department reported Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections of ₹2,454 crore for the financial year 2025–26.
Taking a strict view on compliance, Prasad directed officials to intensify enforcement and maintain close surveillance over excise licensees. He instructed that breach proceedings be initiated against violators of excise norms and emphasised the need for stringent action to curb illegal sale and movement of liquor.
The chief secretary also directed that all custom bonded warehouses operating within Chandigarh must be registered with the department, warning of strict action in cases of non-compliance.
With regard to GST enforcement, officials have been asked to step up scrutiny to detect tax evasion, fraudulent input tax credit (ITC) claims, and fake firms. The administration has directed initiation of legal and penal proceedings against defaulters as per law.
Emphasising accountability, the chief secretary called for sustained monitoring and coordinated enforcement efforts to safeguard government revenue and ensure transparency in the functioning of the department.
