The Chandigarh Excise and Taxation Department has slapped a penalty of Rs 2 lakh on Hotel Park Plaza, Sector 17 here and Rs 1 lakh penalty on Ministry of Bar Exchange in Elante Mall, Industrial Area Phase I here. The UT Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner Rakesh Popli issued an order in this regard.
While the Hotel Park Plaza has been slapped with penalty for selling liquor without hologram, the Ministry of Bar Exchange has been fined for serving liquor to the customers below the age of 25 years.
Notably, holograms were introduced in Chandigarh in 2017 to curb liquor smuggling. Clause 46 of the UT Excise policy states, “Holograms/Intaglio printed security labels with holograms on packings/bottles of country liquor, Indian-made foreign liquor and Imported Foreign liquor will be mandatorily fixed by the licensee at his own expense.”
Earlier in the month of August, the UT Excise and Taxation Department had slapped a penalty of Rs 5 lakh on Hotel JW Marriott, Sector 35 here for violation of excise policy. Among others slapped with a penalty of Rs 2 Lakh each for keeping liquor without hologram in August included restaurants namely Mainland China Sector 26, Bargain Booze Sector 26, Purple Frog Sector 26, Culture Brew Sector 26 and liquor vends namely M/s Ace Liquor Sector 36 and M/s Mann Brother Sector 40 here.
