Business hours of liquor shops slashed by 3 hrs
ITANAGAR, Mar 16: The State Tax, Excise & Narcotics Department has slashed business hours of liquor shops by three hours across the state in view of the ensuing assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
As per the order issued by the Department, the liquor vendors would now start the day at 9 am and wind up by 5 pm. The order will remain in force till the completion of the election process.
Further, the poll day (April 11), the days before and after the poll day (Apr 9, 10, 12), the counting day (May 23) and the days before and after the counting day (May 22, 24) have been declared dry days.
The department has also initiated several measures, set up different mechanisms along with issuing numerous orders to prevent supply of illicit liquor during the election process.
In its order, the department has made it compulsory for all the licensed retail liquor outlets to install CCTV cameras in their shop premises.
“District Liquor Monitoring Squad (DLMS) would closely monitor movement and selling of liquor in every district. The squad will be empowered under section 58 of the AP Excise Act, 1993 with the power to search, seize or detention of illicit liquor, vehicles, receptacle etc,” it said.
Further, all sensitive retail outlets and potential distribution points of illicit liquors, would immediately be identified and kept under close vigil by the Flying Squad, video surveillance team and DLMS.
As per the order, the maximum permissible quantity of liquors that an unlicensed individual can carry or transport within the district is six quarter bottles and 12 bottles of beer (of 650 ml).
Further, intensive vigil and checking of vehicles would be carried out by inter-district coordination of the District Nodal Officers, DLM Squads and Flying Squads with the help of transport department and police personnel to ensure that no clandestine movement of illicit liquors across district boundaries takes place during the elections process.
“The District Nodal Officer (ST Excise) would submit sales and purchase reports of every liquor outlets, including wholesaler, bonded warehouse with a comparative reference to the proceedings of the previous year on a daily basis to the State Nodal Officer (Excise), Itanagar on a daily basis,” the order said.
Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner (Excise) Kikin Tagi has been appointed as State Nodal Officer (Excise) with immediate effect till completion of the entire election process.
Meanwhile, the Central Liquor Monitoring and seizure team of the Department of Tax, Excise & Narcotics conducted a sudden raid at liquor godowns in Banderdewa in Papum Pare district to check illegal sale of alcohol as well as to verify the existing stock.
Commissioner Tax, Excise & Narcotics Anirudh Singh has given strict instructions to all the district liquor monitoring squads to conduct similar exercises in their respective jurisdiction at the earliest.
