Punjab’s excise revenue up by 88 percent

Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has announced that the state’s excise revenue has grown 88 percent over the past three years, increasing from ₹6,254 crore to over ₹10,200 crore. For the first time, excise revenue is expected to surpass the five-digit mark, with the ₹10,145 crore target for FY 2024-25 likely to be exceeded.

Addressing a press conference, Cheema credited the excise department’s tendering process for this growth and highlighted the strong response to the ongoing e-tender process for retail liquor licence allotment for FY 2025-26. The department set a reserve price of ₹9,017 crore for 207 retail liquor groups and, as of March 20, allotted 179 groups, fetching ₹8,681 crore and an additional ₹871 crore premium. The minister projected that the revenue could exceed ₹11,800 crore for FY 2025-26, marking a 16 percent increase.