Chandigarh, June 25 -- Not showing much of a buoyant trade sentiment, liquor contractors in Haryana seem to be holding themselves back from making bids for the allotment of unsold liquor vends under the 2025-27 excise policy which is spread over two financial years. Following completion of two more rounds (seven in all) of the bidding in the last five days for allotment of liquor vends, only 41 retail liquor zones out of the 260 unsold zones across 20 districts could be sold. This despite the fact that the excise and taxation department had reduced the reserve price for the unsold 260 zones. Liquor contractors say that the trade sentiment remains gloomy due to meddling of criminal gangs in the liquor business and worsening of law-and-order situation. The June 20 gunning down of a liquor contractor in Jind for which an aide of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi took responsibility (a claim denied by the DGP and termed as a publicity stunt), the 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 in the bidding for allotment of liquor vends for 2025-27, opening of fire outside a liquor vend on April 8 in Yamunanagar have left liquor contractors petrified, consequently affecting the trade sentiment. State officials said that while the poor outcome of the auction of zones can have an implication on the state's revenue receipts, they were hopeful that the situation would improve. "Things will fall in place soon. We are quite hopeful,'' said a top official expressing optimism. Chief minister Nayab Saini, during a meeting last week, expressed concern over the killing of a liquor contractor in Kurukshetra and directed the DGP to act firmly. The 41 retail liquor zones auctioned in the sixth and seventh rounds were spread across 14 districts of Ambala, Gurugram (east and west), Faridabad, Fatehabad, Karnal, Panipat, Sonepat, Jind, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Palwal, Hisar and Sirsa. No bids were received for retail liquor zones in Yamunanagar (Jagadhari), Panchkula, Kaithal, Mewat, Narnaul and Rewari in the latest two rounds. Retail liquor zones of Bhiwani and Kurukshetra districts were sold out in earlier rounds. Each retail liquor zone consisted of a liquor vend each for selling Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and country liquor. With 219 of the 1,194 retail liquor zones unsold, the excise and taxation department has again invited bids for June 25. Excise officials said that during the sixth round of e-tendering on June 20 where 260 retail liquor zones in 20 districts were put under hammer, only 22 zones in 12 districts could be sold. "On June 23, e-tenders were again invited for the remaining 238 retail liquor zones but only 19 zones in 10 districts could be sold,'' said an official who did not wish to be named. The tentative amount secured through bidding in the sixth and seventh round for allotment of zones was about Rs.380 crore, thus taking the total excise revenue earned so far to Rs.11,434 crore. Trade analysts said that it was quite disappointing that there were single bids for most of the retail liquor zones allotted on June 20 and 23 despite the fact that the excise and taxation department had reduced the reserve price of the retail liquor zones. Ex-deputy CM and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala has alleged that the breakdown in law and order was due to a nexus between certain police officials and criminals. "Two DSP-rank officers and four inspectors were colluding with anti-social elements. Both the chief minister and the DGP were aware of this but they chose to remain silent. We are ready to name these officers," Dushyant said. Chief minister's media secretary Praveen Attrey said, "The special task force has killed a hitman of Kala Rana-Noni Rana gang who was allegedly involved in the murder of a Kurukshetra liquor contractor. We are on the job."...