Chandigarh: The Punjab government has intensified its recovery drive for long-pending excise arrears, a burden carried forward from previous SAD-BJP and Congress administrations. Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema announced that the Excise Commissionerate has already recovered ₹1.85 crore in the 2025–26 financial year.
Cheema revealed that 27 properties worth ₹20.31 crore at Collector Rates have been approved for auction, with the process now underway. Of these, 14 properties in Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka, and Mansa districts will be auctioned in the first half of September.
On September 4, six properties in Mansa and Bathinda, including agricultural and commercial or residential land, with a base price of ₹5.4 crore, will go under the hammer. Four agricultural properties in Sri Muktsar Sahib valued at ₹4.89 crore will be auctioned on September 8. Another set of four properties in Sri Muktsar Sahib and Fazilka, worth ₹1.99 crore, will be auctioned on September 11.
The Finance Minister also confirmed that eight more properties will be auctioned later in September, keeping the recovery campaign in motion. He added that the state aims to recover substantial revenue from 67 pending arrears cases this year alone, unlocking stalled funds and addressing legacy dues.
Cheema stressed that under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s leadership, license fees are being collected on time, ensuring no new arrears pile up. He termed the recovery of old dues a crucial step toward strengthening Punjab’s financial health and reaffirmed the government’s focus on transparency, compliance, and accountability.
