Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], November 22 : The Excise department has intensified its crackdown on illicit liquor across the state. Special teams are conducting raids and have registered 523 cases so far during this financial year, a release said.
The department has seized 21,637.166 litres of illicit liquor and 33,308.900 litres of 'lahan' from various locations across the state since April. 'Lahan' is a locally brewed liquor widely used in rural areas of the state.
Last month alone, 309.340 litres of illicit liquor and 12 litres of lahan were seized in the southern region of Shimla, 2,678.225 litres of illicit liquor and 14 litres of lahan in the central region of Mandi and 529.150 litres of liquor and 4,870 litres of lahan in the northern region of Palampur. Additionally, 286.09 litres of illicit liquor were seized in Police District Baddi, 2090.625 litres in Kullu, 528.350 litres in Mandi and 286.045 litres in Una.
The government has directed the district officials to take legal action against those involved in this trade.
In October, the department seized large quantities of illicit liquor and several operational distilleries in villages Milwan, Thakurdwara, Barota, Bela Ludacha and Ulehriyan in the Damtal area of Police District Nurpur, which were destroyed on the spot after taking appropriate legal action.
In accordance with the directives of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the Excise department has formed special departmental teams at the district level to curb the smuggling of illicit liquor. Through these teams, an intensive campaign is being carried out in the state against illegal liquor activities.
The department has constituted 35 special teams to stop illegal liquor activities, out of which four teams each have been deployed in Kullu and Chamba districts, three each in Shimla, Solan, Bilaspur, Mandi and Una districts and Nurpur police district, two teams each in Kangra, Sirmaur and Hamirpur districts and BBN police district and one team in Kinnaur district.
Excise Commissioner Yunus said that the state government was keeping a close vigil on the illegal activities and taking strict action as per the rules so that the government revenue was not affected by the illegal liquor trade.
He has appealed to the people to share any information related to illegal liquor and its trade on the telephone number 0177-2620426 and WhatsApp number 94183-31426 and 0177-2620426 (South Zone), 01894-230186 (North Zone) and 01905-223499 (Central Zone) being operated by the department, so that any kind of illegal activity can be stopped.