Chief secy orders stricter excise, GST enforcement

Chandigarh: UT chief secretary H Rajesh Prasad Friday directed the excise & taxation department to tighten enforcement and maintain strict vigil over excise licensees, warning of breach proceedings against violators of policy provisions.

At a review meeting, Prasad stressed the need to curb illegal movement and sale of liquor through preventive and punitive action. He also directed that all custom bonded warehouses in Chandigarh be registered as per policy norms, with strict action for non-compliance.

On the GST front, officers were asked to intensify enforcement and conduct detailed analysis to detect tax evasion, bogus input tax credit (ITC) claims and fake firms. Legal and penal action must be initiated against defaulters in accordance with the law, he said.

The department informed that Rs 965.71 crore was collected as excise revenue in 2025-26. For 2026-27, 96 of 97 liquor vends have been allotted, fetching Rs 560.85 crore against a reserve price of Rs 450 crore. Revenue collection is projected to touch around Rs 1,009 crore against the Rs 1,000 crore target.

Officials also highlighted reforms under the 2026-27 excise policy, including auto-renewal of labels, real-time stock inventory, reintroduction of liquor licences at departmental stores and GPS-enabled tracking of liquor transport.

Under GST, the department reported revenue collection of Rs 2,454 crore in 2025-26.

Prasad underscored the need for sustained monitoring, coordinated enforcement and strict compliance to safeguard government revenue and ensure transparency and accountability.