Chandigarh, March 13 -- Seeing loses for the last two years, the UT excise department has slashed the reserve prices for most of its liquor vends for the upcoming financial year (2025-26), the e-auction process for which will start from March 13.

A total of 97 liquor vends are on offer in the city. The financial bids will be opened on March 21.

The UT has been suffering losses for the last two years due to Punjab's excise policy. In Punjab, excise duty and VAT are just 1%. In contrast, Chandigarh imposes an excise duty ranging from Rs.66 to Rs.377 per proof litre, with VAT at 12.5%. This allows liquor vendors in Punjab enjoy higher profit margins compared to those in Chandigarh. Liquor rates in Punjab are also slightly higher than in Ch...