The Haryana Excise and Taxation Department has received ₹1,270.40 crore from the auction of 50 liquor retail zones in Gurugram East, marking a 5.96% rise over the collective reserve price of ₹1,198.90 crore. Conducted as part of the third phase of the 2025–27 excise policy, the digital auction concluded on Saturday and witnessed enthusiastic bidding in key high-value areas.
The top-grossing zone was Bristol Chowk, which fetched ₹98.58 crore—nearly double last year’s top bid of ₹48.28 crore, also from the same zone, officials said. They added that it was the highest bid not just in Gurugram but across Haryana this year.
“This round showed a stronger response compared to earlier phases and reflects a healthy investor sentiment in the state’s liquor trade under the new two-year policy,” said Amit Bhatia, deputy excise and taxation commissioner (East), who supervised the bidding process. He credited the transparent e-auction system for the turnout.
Bidding for the 50 zones in East Gurugram was held digitally between 9am on May 30 and 4pm on May 31. The evaluation took place at the Excise Department’s Resource Building under the deputy commissioner’s committee, with CTM Ravindra Kumar representing the DC, officials said.
Despite the revenue gains, 29 of 79 liquor zones in Gurugram East received no bids—a significant jump from 20 unsold zones last year. In Gurugram West, 21 zones remained vacant, up from just two the previous year. Even Sector 29 Market, a prime commercial area, failed to attract bidders this time.
To address the shortfall, the excise department has scheduled fresh auctions. Gurugram West’s 21 unsold zones will be re-auctioned on June 3, followed by Gurugram East’s 29 vacant zones on June 5. Bidding will be open from 9 am to 4 pm, with evaluations held the same evening. The reserve price for East’s remaining zones has been fixed at ₹1,021 crore.
Among the five highest-grossing zones were World Mark, Maidawas ( ₹44.61 crore), Jalsa ( ₹43.10 crore), Valley View ( ₹38.01 crore), and Ramgarh Chowk ( ₹36.25 crore)—all strategically located in high-footfall commercial and residential clusters.
However, the auction process has come under scrutiny. Supreme Court advocate and activist Rajeev Yadav alleged irregularities, accusing excise officials of colluding with “dummy bidders.” He claimed bidders with just ₹60 lakh in financial capacity and minimal income tax history were allowed to participate in zones worth ₹90 crore or more. “Such manipulation is a gateway for black money. Dummy bidders are being used to ensure certain zones go unsold, allowing them to be re-auctioned at lower prices. This could cause a 20% revenue loss— ₹577 crore,” Yadav alleged.
While excise officials have not formally responded, internal sources said vigilance teams have been informally alerted to review certain zones where participation or pricing patterns appeared irregular.
The department aims to finalise all allotments by June 12, when the new excise policy takes effect. With financial stakes and regulatory attention both running high, the upcoming auctions are expected to draw even closer scrutiny.