E-Paper
97 booze vends up for grabs in Chandigarh, Palsora costliest at ₹11.41 crore
Last year, the liquor vend at Palsora, Chandigarh, had fetched the highest bid of ₹14 crore against the reserve price of ₹10.22 crore
Under the new Excise Policy 2026-27, as many as 97 liquor vends will start operating across Chandigarh from April 1, with the administration fixing a reserve price of ₹11.41 crore for the vend at Palsora village near Mohali — the highest in the city.
The licences will be allotted through an e-auction scheduled for March 19 at Hotel Mountview in Sector 10.
Last year, the liquor vend at Palsora had fetched the highest bid of ₹14 crore against the reserve price of ₹10.22 crore. The liquor vends in Palsora and Dhanas are expected to rake in the highest price again, as they are located near Mohali, where liquor is costlier.
Officials from the excise and taxation department more than 300 contractors had applied so far for the bidding process. The last date for submission of applications is March 18.
The total reserve price for all 97 liquor vends has been fixed at ₹454 crore. While the Palsora vend is the costliest with a reserve price of ₹11.41 crore, the vend at Sector-41C market will be the least expensive, with a reserve price of ₹1.93 crore.
In financial year 2025-26, out of the total 97 liquor vends in Chandigarh, 88 were allotted, while the remaining vends remained vacant throughout the year due to lack of bidders.
In the current excise year, the department has collected ₹863 crore in revenue till March 15, against a projected revenue target of ₹900 crore. Of this, ₹490 crore came from vend licence fees, which remain the department’s single largest source of revenue. Official records show that excise levies contributed ₹272 crore, followed by ₹36 crore from various licences and ₹33 crore from assessment fees paid by retailers.
