₹2.30 Crore Awarded to 3,548 Verified Winners through‘Bill Liyao Inaam Pao’ Scheme: Harpal Singh Cheema
Bhagwant Mann Govt Committed to Clean, Transparent & Accountable Governance: Harpal Singh Cheema
Consumers Must Demand Genuine Bills to Help Punjab Curb Tax Evasion & Strengthen Revenue: Harpal Singh Cheema
CHANDIGARH, 6th October 2026:
Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday announced that the Bhagwant Singh Mann government has approved the extension of the state’s flagship “Bill Liyao Inaam Pao” (Mera Bill Scheme) for another year. He said, “The scheme has so far generated ₹9.40 crore in penalty demands (with ₹7.31 crore already recovered), added 135 new registered dealers, and awarded over ₹2.30 crore in prize money to 3,548 verified lucky draw winners across 4,058 draws conducted during FY 2025–26 and FY 2026–27, delivering substantial results on both enforcement and public-incentive fronts.”
Highlighting the success of the initiative, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, “The scheme has driven thorough bill verification and effectively plugged critical tax compliance gaps across the state. Through sustained monitoring and enforcement, the Taxation Department successfully detected non-compliance, resulting in ₹9.40 crore in raised penalty demands and an exchequer realization of ₹7.31 crore, alongside widening the tax net by registering 135 new dealers.”
He also shared data regarding the consumer incentive component under the “Mera Bill Scheme” lucky draws, highlighting enthusiastic civic participation. He said, “Out of 4,058 draws conducted across FY 2025–26 and FY 2026–27, a total of 3,548 winners emerged post-verification, taking home ₹2,30,38,070 in total prize money. During FY 2025–26 alone, 3,080 verified winners received ₹1,98,15,980-, while draws continuing into FY 2026–27 have disbursed an additional ₹32,22,090 to lucky participants.”
The Finance Minister further added that the ‘Bill Liyao Inaam Pao’ scheme has proven to be an effective instrument in promoting transparency and encouraging consumer participation in tax compliance. said He said, “Given its tangible success in curbing tax evasion, realizing vital revenue, rewarding conscious citizens, and broadening our tax base, we have decided to extend the scheme for one more year to maintain this momentum.”
Reviewing recent enforcement operations under the scheme for the six-month period from March 1, 2026, to August 31, 2026, Harpal Singh Cheema shared, “One major case involving a penalty of ₹33,06,280 has been detected. I have issued firm directions to the Taxation Department and instructed concerned field officers to prioritize and recover the pending ₹33.06 lakh within the next month, directing that an Action Taken Report (ATR) be placed on file.”
Reaffirming the Bhagwant Mann government’s commitment to clean, transparent, and accountable governance, the Minister urged the citizens of the state to continue demanding genuine bills for all purchases, actively participate in the lucky draws under the “Bill Liyao Inaam Pao” scheme, and join hands in building a financially robust and progressive Punjab.
