Haryana's Liquor Trade Plagued by Gang Wars

Haryana's liquor trade faces violent gang wars, threatening public safety and government revenue.

- NEERAJ MOHAN

The lucrative Rs 14,000 crore liquor trade in Haryana has turned into a battleground for violent gang wars, with criminal networks tightening their grip through repeated shootings, extortion, and cold-blooded murders.

Following the involvement of gangsters, along with threats and firing at contractors, many liquor contractors have been kept away. Once eager to bid for the state's profitable liquor vends, traditional liquor traders are now steering clear of auctions, intimidated by a surge in gang-related violence—threatening both public safety and government revenue.

Latest reports from officials suggest that the Haryana Excise and Taxation Department could allot only 934 of 1,200 liquor zones, as key contractors were not taking part in the bidding. According to recent reports, liquor contractors in 20 districts have shown reluctance to bid for over 260 pending retail liquor zones due to threats and attacks by criminal gangs.

Interestingly, Yamunanagar—earlier known as one of the most peaceful districts of the state—is now the worst affected. Of its 55 liquor zones, 45 have received no bids. Yamunanagar, which shares borders with UP, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, is the home district of gangsters Kala Rana and Noni-Rana and witnessed a triple murder, including that of a liquor contractor, in December last year. After Yamunanagar, the other affected districts are Kurukshetra, Ambala, Jind, Karnal, and Rohtak.