The UT excise and taxation department sealed 18 liquor vends on Monday evening over non-payment of dues.
By Tuesday, payments were cleared for six of these vends, following which they were allowed to reopen. However, 12 vends remain sealed as their dues are still pending.
According to department officials, all 12 of the defaulting contracts belong to the same group, which has a history of irregular payments. The department had faced similar issues with this group in the past as well.
In light of the repeated disputes over payments since the beginning of the financial year and the implementation of the new excise policy, the administration is now considering blacklisting certain companies. Officials indicated that strict action may be taken to ensure compliance and prevent revenue loss.