Punjab cancels 5 liquor vend leases after forest dept flags protected land

Punjab water resources department canceled five liquor vend leases in Rupnagar and Ludhiana districts after the forest department identified the sites as protected forest land.

The leases were executed through an open auction on July 7, 2025, without any objection from the forest department at that time.

The divisional forest officer of Ludhiana informed the department on December 8, 2025, that two vends were on protected forest land, leading to lease cancellations on December 10, 2025.

On June 26, 2026, the DFO Ropar identified three more vends as protected forest land, and their leases were canceled on July 10, 2026.

Eviction proceedings have been initiated against four of the five canceled sites, and one vend has already been vacated.