Server down, UT fails to e-auction 21 liquor vends

The UT Excise and Taxation Department today failed to conduct an e-auction for the allotment of remaining 21 liquor vends.

According to sources, the e-auction could not take place as the server of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) was down. Now, the auction would take place only when the server would become functional.

The department was able to auction only seven liquor vends out of 28 in the third round of the auction on April 29. The department had earned Rs 60.98 crore against the reserve price of Rs 41.08 crore in the auction.

On April 21, the department had put up 48 liquor vends, the licences of which were cancelled for the non-payment of bank guarantee, for auction. It managed to find bidders for only 20 liquor vends. The department earned Rs 131 crore against the reserve price of Rs 109 crore.

On March 21, the department had allotted 96 out of 97 liquor vends through an e-auction and generated Rs 606 crore. However, the department had cancelled the licences of 48 vends. It earned Rs 23 crore by forfeiting the earnest money and security deposits of these defaulters.

Chandigarh