The Punjab Excise and Taxation Minister, Harpal Singh Cheema, announced on Thursday that his department has established a range of minimum and maximum prices for beer to ensure that prices remain reasonable.
Cheema stated that the decision was made to prevent the excessive pricing of beer and to discourage the smuggling of the beverage from neighboring states.
In an official statement, Cheema stated that these measures would also deter the production and consumption of illicit liquor.
Chairing a monthly review meeting of the excise department here, Cheema said, “In the excise policy for 2023-24, a clause 28 has been inserted, whereby, in order to keep rates of beer within reasonable limits, the power to decide the minimum and maximum retail price of beer to be sold at retail vends and standalone vends, has been given to the government”.
In an official statement, Punjab’s Excise and Taxation Minister, Harpal Singh Cheema, who also holds the portfolio of state finance minister, urged his department officials to intensify enforcement action against the illegal liquor trade in the state. He emphasized the need for running awareness campaigns to discourage the production and consumption of illicit liquor.
The Excise Commissioner, Varun Roojam, stated that the department has been maintaining a stringent surveillance on the transportation of extra-neutral alcohol (ENA) from the manufacturer to its ultimate destination.
According to Varun Roojam, the Excise Commissioner, vehicles transporting ENA are equipped with GPS and are prohibited from stopping within the first 100 km of their journey. Furthermore, excise teams are conducting surprise inspections regularly to prevent any potential misconduct.
Additionally, he emphasized that the excise department will be carrying out frequent enforcement operations to eliminate the issue of contraband alcohol production and smuggling.
