Excise Policy 2023-24: Chandigarh Administration mulls bar code, batch number on bottles

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, January 7

To check smuggling of liquor from the City Beautiful, the UT Administration is mulling over introducing bar code and batch numbers of liquor bottles in the forthcoming Excise Policy 2023-24.

An official of the Excise and Taxation Department said they had been receiving information regarding seizure of liquor, meant for sale in Chandigarh, in Haryana and other states.

In order to curb the smuggling of liquor to other states, the department was planning to introduce bar code and batch number on the label of bottles on the pattern of medicine bottles as well as on cartons. The bar code will provide all information regarding manufacturer, date and other contents.

He said the department was also considering deploying ex-servicemen at each bottling plant. So far licences have been granted to 12 bottling plants. In the 2022-23 Excise Policy, the Administration had decided not to give new licences for bottling plants in the city.

In the existing policy, the Administration had made it mandatory for all plants to deposit a bank guarantee of Rs 25 lakh with the Excise and Taxation Department.

The department had recently initiated proceedings against two liquor vends in Sector 22 and Dhanas after these were found violating the norms, including selling liquor without permit.

The official said in the past one year, the department had initiated proceedings under relevant provisions of the Excise Act/rules against four bottling plants and 10 retail liquor vends.

Recently, stakeholders gave suggestions in respect of formulation of the UT Excise Policy 2023-24. A meeting under the chairmanship of Vinay Pratap Singh, Deputy Commissioner-cum-Excise and Taxation Commissioner, was held to seek suggestions from retail sale liquor licensees, wholesale liquor licensees, representatives of hotels/bars associations and representatives of bottling plant licensees. It was suggested that a lottery system should be introduced to increase participation and the revenue of the department.

Licences to 12 bottling plants

An official of the Excise and Taxation Department said the department was also considering deploying ex-servicemen at each bottling plant. So far licences have been granted to 12 bottling plants. In the 2022-23 Excise Policy, the Administration had decided not to give new licences for bottling plants in the city.