Is Punjab cabinet to approve excise policy in its maiden cabinet meeting on March 19?
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
On March 19, 2022, Punjab cabinet minister’s swearing-in-ceremony will be held at Punjab Raj Bhawan at 11:00 am.
Immediately after the swearing-in-ceremony the newly formed Punjab cabinet is going to meet at 12:30 pm at Punjab Civil Sectt., Chandigarh.
As per sources, the Punjab cabinet is going to approve the new excise policy for 2022-23 in its first meeting as it’s too late. As per normal practice, the policy for the upcoming financial year is declared in February-March, auction of vends take place almost by third week of March and implemented from April 1. The policy is announced after the approval of the state’s council of ministers.
As per sources, the state excise department had already collected the requisite data, information and made the policy as per the new government requirement. Now, they will table the policy in its first meeting on March 19,2022 and hopefully it will be the first policy to be cleared by the Bhagwant Mann led government.
Excise department is one of the major revenue generating departments of the state and every year the state government changes the excise policy, fixes the price and sale targets for Punjab medium liquor (PML) and Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL), besides deciding on the number of vends in the state. It also fixes manufacturing targets for distilleries in the state besides number of licences to hotels, restaurants, bars for sale of liquor, the annual licence fee for marriage palaces etc.
In view of the success achieved through ‘Operation Red Rose’ the state excise department is going to continue the enforcement activities under the said operation with full vigour. The department proposes to introduce more technology in tracking the manufacture, movement and stocking of liquor in the state.
March 18,2022
