Chandigarh-Projecting excise income of ₹12,800 crore for 2026-27, Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday asserted that Punjab’s excise reforms haven’t solely rewritten the state’s income trajectory however at the moment are immediately strengthening public welfare by funding colleges, hospitals and different pro-people schemes.
Asserting the brand new Excise Coverage, Cheema stated the state has moved decisively away from the stagnation of earlier Congress and Akali-BJP governments, reworking excise right into a clear, enforcement-driven and growth-oriented sector that’s delivering file collections whereas tightening the noose round illicit commerce.
Addressing a press convention at Punjab Bhawan, alongside Excise and Taxation Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal, Cheema offered an in depth comparative evaluation of the state’s excise trajectory. He said, “In the course of the SAD-BJP regime in 2011-12, excise income stood at a modest ₹2,755 crore. Over the following decade, progress remained sluggish and it reached solely ₹6,255 crore through the Congress regime in 2021-22.”
The Excise and Taxation Minister asserted, “Nevertheless, following the implementation of a extra strong coverage framework in 2022-23 by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Authorities, the state witnessed a right away and large leap to ₹8,428 crore. This momentum has continued unabated, with income climbing to ₹10,744 crore within the 2024-25 interval and assembly the present goal of ₹11,200 crore for 2025-26.”
Detailing key provisions of the brand new Excise Coverage for 2026-27, Minister Cheema famous, “The Punjab Authorities has launched a number of measures to streamline operations and assist current companies. A major function contains the renewal of present retail licenses at a 6.5% enhance over the 2025-26 charges. In circumstances the place teams are usually not renewed, the allotment will probably be dealt with by way of a clear e-tender course of.”
He additional said, “The quota for Punjab Medium Liquor at 50 and 65 levels has been elevated by 3%, bringing the whole to eight.79 crore Proof Litres to satisfy client demand whereas regulating the market. Moreover, to fight the sale of illicit alcohol, the federal government will introduce 40-degree PML sub-vends particularly in areas recognized as high-crime zones below the Excise Act.”
Emphasising the federal government’s deal with Ease of Doing Enterprise, Minister Cheema introduced, “Model value will increase of as much as 4% below EDP and EBP will now be topic to an auto-approval mechanism, considerably decreasing bureaucratic delays.” He added, “The federal government can also be working to increase the working and dispatch hours for models to enhance logistical effectivity.”
In a landmark step in the direction of industrial self-reliance and financial diversification, the Minister introduced that Punjab will now host its personal Malt Manufacturing Models. He stated, “This strategic initiative alerts a classy evolution within the state’s industrial coverage, transitioning Punjab from a downstream bottling-centric economic system to a high-value manufacturing hub.”
Cheema asserted, “By domesticating the whole manufacturing cycle, from the processing of barley to the distillation of premium malt, the state goals to eradicate its dependence on exterior suppliers for uncooked spirits. This shift not solely ensures the manufacturing of superior, homegrown high quality spirits inside state borders but additionally creates a sturdy farm-to-factory ecosystem that provides important worth to Punjab’s agricultural output.” He emphasised that this transition is designed to retain capital inside the state, generate specialised technical employment, and strengthen Punjab’s place as a pacesetter in high-end industrial distillation.
Sharing enforcement information, Cheema underlined the Punjab authorities’s zero-tolerance coverage in opposition to liquor smuggling from neighbouring states and Chandigarh. He stated, “Regulation enforcement has been exceptionally lively, leading to 4,406 FIRs and the arrest of 4,324 people. Operations included 26,218 raids and the institution of 24,832 checkpoints, resulting in the confiscation of 455 autos and 1,76,552 bottles of liquor. Moreover, the Excise Division destroyed 3,823,576 litres of Lahan, seized 82,990 litres of Ethanol and ENA, 66,794 litres of illicit liquor, and dismantled 374 working stills, reaffirming the state’s dedication to public security and authorized integrity.”
