Gurugram tops Haryana in excise revenue with Rs 3,875 crore, fuelling record growth

Living up to its unofficial tag of ‘Booze City’ of Haryana, Gurugram has once again emerged as the state’s top contributor to excise revenue, generating a whopping Rs 3,875 crore — nearly 27% of Haryana’s total liquor license revenue this year. It was followed by Faridabad with Rs 1,696 crore, Sonepat at Rs 1,066 crore, Rewari with Rs 654 crore, and Hisar contributing Rs 615 crore.

The state excise department announced that despite initial concerns about the latest excise policy, it has delivered a historic 13.25% revenue growth this year. Notably, Gurugram made headlines when a single vend on Golf Course Road fetched Rs 100 crore at auction.

“The Haryana Excise and Taxation Department issued licences for 2,388 retail liquor shops and recorded a revenue growth of 13.25% this year, clearly indicating that the policy has been successful and in public and state interest. The auction of all 1194 excise zones in the state has been successfully completed. Each zone has been permitted two shops, making a total of 2,388 licences,” said Excise and Taxation Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh.

According to the department, the state earned a record Rs 14,342 crore through the auction process — nearly double last year’s revenue of Rs 7,025 crore.

“A notable point is that this year’s auction was completed much earlier and more transparently compared to previous years. While last year’s auction concluded in August, this year the entire process was completed in July itself, a clear indication of improved efficiency and administrative capability,” added Singh.

The government claims that a key driver of the revenue boost was excise growth in rural districts such as Bhiwani, Fatehabad, Hisar, Kurukshetra, and Panipat, which saw a significant rise compared to previous years. This surge, it says, is the result of improved crime control and enforcement.

For example, Yamunanagar district, which previously saw low participation, recorded revenue of Rs 439.88 crore this time, up from Rs 237.81 crore last year.

While the state government celebrates the surge in excise revenue, businessman and columnist Suhel Seth has stirred controversy with pointed criticism of Haryana’s priorities.

Speaking at a recent event, Seth accused the government of choosing liquor vends over infrastructure, and denounced Gurugram’s governance, citing chaotic urban sprawl, poor public services, and a lack of accountability.

“We have more liquor vends than functioning traffic lights. More bars than schools,” he remarked.

Haryana Tribune