Chandigarh's Excise dept raids bar for supplying draught beer without license

Chandigarh, July 31 Acting tough over the non-compliance of the excise provisions by identifying unauthorised bottling plants, the Excise and Taxation Department of Chandigarh, on Thursday, inspected premises of a bar and found it was supplying draught beer without holding the licence, mandatory for such kind of operations.

In addition, the supplier of the beer was found to be supplying stock to the bar without obtaining excise and transport permits.

Both cases reflect blatant non-compliance with the provisions of the Excise Act, and the department has initiated proceedings against both licensees as per law, an official statement said.

These operations reflect the department's zero-tolerance approach toward excise violations.

To strengthen compliance, the department is enforcing implementation of track-and-trace system that enables real-time monitoring of liquor production, transport, and distribution.

Since the introduction of the excise policy for 2025-26, the department has conducted multiple enforcement drives resulting in major seizures of illegal liquor and initiation of legal action against violators.

Intelligence inputs from Punjab and other neighbouring states have played a critical role in helping the department carry out back-tracing exercises to identify unauthorised bottling plants, suppliers, and retail outlets involved in such violations, the department said.

Earlier, acting on a tip-off an excise team conducted a surprise inspection at a godown in Daria, on the outskirts of Chandigarh.

The premises were found to be neither licensed nor approved for the storage of liquor.

Upon checking, 413 cases of country liquor and 2,090 cases of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) of various brands were discovered, all stored without any transport permit or excise pass.

In a similar enforcement action on July 12, nearly 1,500 cases of country liquor and IMFL were found stored at an unapproved location by a retail licensee.

The premises had not been approved by the Excise Department for any such activity.

The premises were sealed on the spot, and an FIR was registered against the license holder for violating the terms of their retail license.

The Excise and Taxation Department reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding government revenue, ensuring lawful trade practices, and fostering a transparent, accountable liquor trade environment across Chandigarh.

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