WB Liquor Retailers Allege Rs 300 Crore in Unauthorised Transport Fees

West Bengal liquor retailers are demanding an Excise Department inquiry into what they say is Rs 300 crore in unauthorised transportation charges collected from them between 2022 and 2025.

The state's distributor-depot system, introduced in 2021 to centralise liquor supply, places transport costs on distributors. Retailers allege those costs were passed down without regulatory approval. The total, they claim, accumulated over three years.

The system was designed to streamline the supply chain. Instead, retailers say it created a new fee layer that the Excise Department never authorised. They want the department to audit the collections and determine whether the charges were legal.

A formal complaint has been submitted. The Excise Department has not yet responded publicly. The next step depends on whether the department opens a probe or dismisses the claim.

If the inquiry proceeds, the focus will be on whether the transport charges were disclosed in the original 2021 framework or added later without approval. That distinction determines whether the Rs 300 crore was a compliance gap or a deliberate levy.