M A I N   N E W S

TRIBUNE EXCLUSIVE
Liquor auctions fetch Rs 99.16 cr more
Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 25
In an apparent reversal of trends of holding of liquor auctions this year have been mostly free from political interference and were reportedly conducted in a "fair, judicious and transparent manner ," to show an unprecedented increase of Rs 99.16 crore over last year.

Against Rs 1100.79 cr last year, the Punjab medium liquor and L-2 vends in the state have been auctioned for Rs 1199.95 crore to register a little more than 9 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

For the new government , it was apparently the first major public engagement. For the Congress government led by Capt Amarinder Singh , it was an acid test to prove its credentials and prove its commitment of good governance and transparency made by him while canvassing during the elections. The management of liquor trade had remained a continuous source of controversy during the previous government. But things , the insiders of the trade reveal, have changed dramatically this time.

Going by the figures and the manner in which these auctions were conducted smoothly with such success revealed that Jalandhar-I returned an increase of a 22.08 per cent in the auction money. Amritsar-I came next with 19.02 per cent increase. Amritsar-II (15.89 per cent), Ludhiana (11.1 per cent), Jalandhar (10.83 per cent), Nawanshahr (10.21 per cent), Sangrur (10.05 per cent), Ropar (9.74 per cent), Moga and Hoshiarpur (9.58 per cent) each and Bathinda (9.51 per cent) were the next in order.

The increase, according to reliable sources, was possible because of the free hand given by the Chief Minister to Mr Y.S. Ratra, Chief Secretary, who also holds the additional charge of Department of Excise and Taxation.

Reports indicate that unlike previous years, there was no political interference to reverse the position of the last five years when liquor vends were virtually allotted to favourites and the state revenue was sacrificed.

During the auction of liquor vends last year, increase was only 2.36 per cent. Investigations reveal that during auction of liquor vends in 1999-2000 , the increase in auction money was 10.99 per cent over the auction money of 1998-99.This was the year when the state government virtually created monopolies and the liquor vends were controlled by a handful of cartels, spelling disaster for the department, the government and the smaller licensees.

Incidents witnessed in Ludhiana during 1999-2000 , leading to a virtual war between two major cartels, were a glaring example. Similar things happened elsewhere too. The situation, however, improved last year.

The results of the 1999-2000 auctions were there for everyone in the subsequent years when the realisation of the auction money was minus 1.6 per cent (2001-02) and during 2000-2001, the increase was marginal (2.36 per cent). In 1998-99 also, the auction money increased by only 4.51 per cent over 1997-98.

District	Total Licence Fee of PML and L-2 vends		Increase Amount	%
	2001-02	2002-03
Ludhiana-I	577572000	641662000	64090000	11.10
Ludhiana-II	831290000	872865000	41575000	5.0
Ludhiana-III	521679000	553244000	31565000	6.05
Patiala	830700000	899700000	69000000	8.31
Fatehgarh Sahib	358267000	363609000	5342000	1.49
Jalandhar-I	379149000	462856000	83707000	22.08
Jalandhar-II	790651000	874744000	84093000	10.83
Kapurthala	437101000	448000000	10899000	2.49
Ferozepore	515800000	542970000	27170000	5.27
Moga	441885000	484200000	42315000	9.58
Muktsar	290100000	303050000	12950000	4.46
Amritsar-I	520197000	619166000	98969000	19.02
Amritsar-II	412903000	478534000	65631000	15.89
Gurdaspur	524000000	555600000	31600000	6.03
Sangrur	100440000	110540000	10100000	10.06
Faridkot	290615000	294700000	4085000	1.40
Bathinda	529125000	579428000	50303000	9.51
Mansa	249200000	269500000	20300000	8.15
Hoshiarpur	633939000	694700000	60761000	9.58
Nawanshahr	335336000	369570000	34234000	10.21
Ropar	534000000	586000000	52000000	9.74