Minister Cheema : In a strong move to enforce fiscal discipline and boost revenue collection
Minister Cheema announced that the Punjab Excise Commissionerate has stepped up efforts to recover long-pending excise arrears carried forward from the previous So far, ₹1.85 crore has been recovered in the ongoing financial year 2025–26, and approval has been granted to auction 27 properties valued at ₹20.31 crore (as per Collector Rate), marking a decisive step toward financial accountability.
Sharing details in a press release, Minister Cheema said the auction process for these properties has already begun. He informed that 14 properties in Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka, and Mansa districts will be auctioned during the first half of September.
On September 4, six properties in Mansa and Bathinda—including agricultural, commercial, and residential plots—worth ₹5.4 crore will go under auction. This will be followed by the auction of four agricultural properties in Sri Muktsar Sahib with a base value of ₹4.89 crore on September 8. Another four properties in Sri Muktsar Sahib and Fazilka, valued at ₹1.99 crore, will be auctioned on September 11.
Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema further stated that eight more properties are slated for auction later in September, keeping the recovery momentum steady. The government aims to realize substantial revenue from 67 pending arrear cases within this financial year as part of a larger effort to clear legacy dues and release stuck revenue.
Drawing a sharp distinction with earlier governments, Cheema highlighted that under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s leadership, license fees are now being collected promptly, preventing arrears from piling up. He stressed that recovering these long-pending dues is essential for strengthening Punjab’s financial health and reaffirmed the AAP government’s commitment to accountability, transparency, and good governance.