Chandigarh.19th March,2021:Honble Governor of Punjab and the Administrator, U.T., Chandigarh, Adviser to the Administrator and Secretary (E&T) U.T., Chandigarh after detailed deliberations, had approved the Excise Policy for the Policy Year 2021-22 (01.04.2021 to 31.03.2022). The new Excise Policy aimed at ushering in transparency and increasing the revenue of the State by use of technology. The e-tendering was done and all the stakeholders were given extensive training for use of digital signatures as well as software developed by NIC for this purpose. All the bidders submitted their bids online and no manual bids were accepted. The Excise Policy also attempted to curb any cartelization/ creation of monopolies by restricting allotment to a single entity upto a maximum of 10 liquor vends only. This aimed at providing a level playing field for everyone, while at the same time increasing revenues of the State.
In the first opening of e-tenders after operationalization of the new policy for the excise policy year 2021-22(01.04.2021 to 31.03.2022) on 19.03.2021 at Hotel Parkview, Sector 24, Chandigarh, the objectives sought to be realized in the policy have been achieved.
The Excise & Taxation Department, U.T., Chandigarh received total 162 tenders/ bids electronically against 80 liquor vends/ licensing units having a reserve price of Rs. 317.31 crores. Getting an overwhelming response, the Department collected a total revenue of Rs. 398.04 crores in the shape of licence fees, registering an increase of approximately 25.44% over the reserve price and received Rs 5.67 crores in shape of participation fee. The highest bid of Rs 11.55 crores has been received for vend code no. 93 at Village/Colony – Dhanas against a reserve price of Rs 7.95 Cr.. An analysis of the successful bidders revealed that no single entity got allotment of more than 8 vends.
The opening of e-tenders/ financial bids held at Hotel Parkview, Sector 24, Chandigarh took place in the presence of Sh. Mandip Singh Brar, IAS, Excise & Taxation Commissioner-cum-Deputy Commissioner, U.T., Chandigarh. Sh. Harjeet Singh Sandhu, PCS, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Central), Sh. Rakesh Kumar Popli, PCS, Collector (Excise) & Sh. Satpal Gill, Excise & Taxation Officer as members of Allotment Committee and Sh. Virat, HCS as observer appointed by the Chandigarh Administration. A team under the supervision of Sh. Vivek Verma, SIO (NIC) has also performed technical work very efficiently during the opening of the financial bid.
After this phenomenal success, the Department is also geared up to implement other measures outlined in the policy approved by Honble Governor of Punjab-cum-the Administrator and Worthy Adviser to Administrator, like granting all permits/ passes also online. This would eliminate the need of any licensee to physically visit the office, thereby promoting transparency and ease of doing business.
