Liquor price in the city is set to rise slightly from April after the Chandigarh Administration approved the Excise Policy for 2026–27, proposing a marginal increase of up to 2 per cent in the Ex-Distillery Price (EDP) for several categories of alcoholic beverages. The increase will apply to Country Liquor, Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), Indian beer and Indian wines. However, the revision will not apply to Imported Wines, Imported Beer and Imported Foreign Liquor (IFL).
UT officials said further proposal for increasing Ex-Distillery Price (EDP) or Ex-Brewery Price (EBP) would be considered only after the first quarter of the policy year and subject to uninterrupted supply of brands.
The administration has largely retained the major provisions of last year’s policy while introducing several measures aimed at improving regulation, transparency and ease of doing business. According to officials, the policy seeks to strengthen regulatory oversight, improve enforcement and ensure steady revenue generation for the Union Territory.
Under the new policy, 97 retail liquor vends will operate in the city. The total reserve price for licensing units has been fixed at Rs 454.35 crore, slightly higher than last year’s reserve price of Rs 444 crore. The administration expects to generate nearly Rs 950 crore in revenue during the policy year, compared to the revenue target of Rs 900 crore set by the Excise and Taxation Department for the current financial year.
The quota for Country Liquor, IMFL and IFL for retail licensing units has been kept unchanged, maintaining a revenue-neutral approach compared to the 2025–26 excise policy. One of the significant features of the new policy is the reintroduction of the L-10B licence, which will allow the sale of liquor through organised departmental stores. As per UT officials the move is expected to enhance consumer convenience, particularly for women, senior citizens and other consumers who may prefer purchasing liquor from departmental store outlets rather than traditional liquor vends. To bring more clarity and avoid legal disputes, the administration has also introduced a clear definition of “family” in the policy.
The policy introduces several changes related to licensing and compliance. The security amount for retail vend licensees has been increased to 17 per cent of the bid amount. Retail liquor vend licensees will now pay the licence fee along with applicable interest once by the 15th of the succeeding month, replacing the earlier system of paying the fee in two instalments.
The administration has also introduced strict provisions for non-payment of licence fees. In case a licensee fails to deposit the required amount, the L-2 or L-14A licence, along with any other licences held by the licensee, may be cancelled and recovery proceedings initiated as per law.
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Under the new rules, bar licensees will procure liquor from the two nearest retail vends (L-2/L-14A). If both vends belong to the same entity, procurement may be made from the third nearest vend.
To strengthen monitoring and enforcement, installation of CCTV cameras at additional godowns of retail vends has been made mandatory, with provision for live feed access to the department. The policy also tightens compliance norms regarding liquor advertisements, and violations may attract penalties.
Similarly, provisions related to CCTV monitoring at bottling plants have been strengthened. The working days for bottling plants have been increased from five to six days a week (Monday to Saturday), with the provision of overtime operations on gazetted holidays. Security personnel will also be deployed at bottling plants and CCTV control rooms, with their salaries borne by the department.
The policy further mandates that all vehicles transporting liquor for import, export or local supply must be equipped with GPS tracking systems.
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The policy also states that retail vends operating from government or administration-owned premises will have to pay rent directly to the concerned department and complete related formalities.
Cow Cess will continue at the existing rates– Rs 0.50 per bottle of 750 ml Country Liquor, Rs 0.50 per bottle of 650 ml beer, and Rs 1 per bottle of 750/700 ml whisky. In addition, the minimum retail sale price of beer will be revised and fixed range-wise based on the Ex-Brewery Price (EBP).
