Chandigarh, May 27 -- In a strongly worded objection, the Punjab government has raised serious concerns over the increasing incidents of liquor smuggling from Chandigarh into various districts of the state.

In a detailed 13-page letter addressed to Ajay Chagti, secretary, excise and taxation, UT, Punjab excise and taxation commissioner Jitendra Jorwal attached a list of 35 FIRs registered within just one and a half months across multiple districts, since the beginning of financial year 2025-26, all related to liquor illegally smuggled from Chandigarh.

A senior officer from the UT excise department admitted that the primary reason for the smuggling was the excessively high liquor quota in Chandigarh. "Vendors are exploiting the quota by ...