Excise dept launches month-long drive to recover Rs 2k cr dues

Times news network

Jaipur: The excise department has launched a month-long special drive in June to recover nearly Rs 2,000 crore in pending revenue dues, with officials directed to initiate stringent action against defaulters, including attachment and auction of movable and immovable properties.

According to departmental figures, outstanding excise revenue stood at around Rs 2,000 crore as of March 31, 2026. The dues have accumulated largely since the Covid period and recovery in recent years has remained negligible.

A senior official said, “Additional excise commissioners and district excise officers across the state to are directed to intensify recovery efforts between June 1 and June 30.”

Under the recovery plan, excise inspectors and district officials have been directed to personally contact defaulters and persuade them to clear outstanding dues.

“If payments are not made, authorities will proceed with attachment and auction of properties. Information regarding assets and vehicles owned by defaulters has already been sourced through various agencies and shared with field officers,” added official.

Officials have been asked to obtain details of assets from revenue authorities, transport departments, urban local bodies, municipal corporations, municipal councils and banks wherever necessary. Auction dates for attached properties will be widely publicised, including through announcements on loudspeakers in the concerned localities, to encourage defaulters to settle dues before coercive action is taken.

“The dues are largely linked to the liquor shop auction system introduced in 2021-22, when online auctions replaced the lottery process. Several contractors who placed aggressive bids subsequently failed to meet guarantee obligations, leaving substantial amounts unpaid,” said an official

The commissioner has also ordered closer monitoring of court cases involving recovery stays and directed officers to pursue early hearings. In cases involving fake solvency certificates, bids without names or forged documents, FIRs will be lodged. “Officials failing to act on recovery targets could face disciplinary proceedings under Rajasthan Civil Services Rules,” said an official.