Chandigarh, June 19 -- With the shadow of criminals looming large over the liquor trade in the state, the BJP led Haryana government faces the challenge of accomplishing its excise revenue target of Rs.14,063.91 crore from the sale of liquor for 2025-26 financial year. Even after completion of five rounds of bidding, liquor contractors in 20 districts, reeling from a recent killing and threats by criminal gangs, have shown reluctance to bid for 260 pending retail liquor zones. The reserve price of the pending 260 zones is about Rs.3,980 crore.

The June 13 killing of a liquor contractor in Kurukshetra by gangsters, indiscriminate firing at a liquor vend in Rohtak on May 26 where the assailants threatened the contractor not to participate ...