Chandigarh, March 27 -- Amid liquor contractors' claims of "a single family" securing 90% of the liquor vends during a recent e-auction in violation of the 2025-26 UT Excise Policy, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday stayed the operation of all liquor vends in Chandigarh from April 1.

It effectively means that none of the total 96 vends auctioned by the administration will be able to start operations until at least April 3, when the high court will take up the petitions challenging the allotments again.

Meanwhile, with the current financial year ending at midnight on March 31, existing licensees will also be required to wrap up their operations, leading to no liquor sale at vends for at least three days in the new fiscal.

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