Latest News | Punjab Cabinet Approves New Excise Policy for FY26

Chandigarh, Feb 27 (PTI) The Punjab Cabinet on Thursday approved a new excise policy for the year 2025-26, which aims to collect Rs 11,020 crore of revenue.

The nod was given in a meeting of the council of ministers, chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

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Addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting here, Finance and Excise Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said his department would mobilise Rs 10,200 crore by the end of March this year as against the target of Rs 10,145 crore for 2024-25.

The target of mobilising revenue to the tune of Rs 11,020 crore has been set for the financial year 2025-26.

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He said during the previous regimes, the revenue from the excise used to be Rs 6,100 crore.

The allotment of liquor vends would be conducted through e-tendering under the new excise policy, Cheema said, adding that the quota for country-made liquor has been increased by three per cent.

Cheema also informed that to further strengthen enforcement, new excise police stations will be set up and a committee has been formed in this regard.

Under this policy, an approval has been given for setting up a new bottling plant, he said.

The cow welfare cess on liquor has also been increased from Rs 1 per proof litre to Rs 1.50 per proof litre (quantity at a specified temperature with certain proportion of alcohol volume) . It will lead to an increase in revenue from Rs 16 to 24 crore, he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)