300 liquor bottles seized, officials to maintain vigil along State borders

TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Goa Excise Department officials are coordinating with their counterparts in Maharashtra and Karnataka after the seizure of 300-odd liquor bottles, stocked without proper permission.
The department is raiding several places in the run up to March 3 elections as Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked them to control the use of booze to lure the voters.
A senior excise official said that the commissioners of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa are in constant touch to monitor the situation. “The aim is to keep a tab on inter-state movement of Indian Made Foreign Liquor, beer and country liquor,” an official informed.
The department’s flying squad is on a raiding spree at places susceptible for supplying liquor to potential voters in the upcoming elections even as the entire state including the boundaries are under strict vigil.
While about 200 IMFL bottles were seized from the premises of two politicians, the department confiscated 100 more liquor bottles from the Panjim market Thursday but the owners managed to give the officials the slip.
The officials are also asked to obtain information pertaining to any liquor seizures happening in the two neighboring states.
Admitting that liquor is one of the commodities used to influence voters before and during the election, the office of the Collectorate and District Election Officers issued strict instructions to Excise officials to ensure thorough check on its misuse.
Besides the formation of special flying squads for surprise checks, sources said, the department has also mapped ‘vulnerable’ areas and major liquor manufacturing units for keeping them under strict surveillance.
Meanwhile, ahead of the State assembly poll on March 3, Excise Department has put in place a special mechanism to detect the flow of illicit liquor in the State.
The department asked for filing of daily stock opening and closing from the manufacturers, distributors and retailers even as the Collector recently passed an order for the preparation of an enforcement action plan.
“In order to curb the liquor menace, the production, off-take, stock limits of licensed stockiest, daily receipt and off-take of retail sellers of Indian Made Foreign Liquor, beer, country made liquor with reference to production figures in the previous year and the opening and closing time of the liquor vending shops should be closely monitored,” the order reads.
The department has begun receiving the daily reports through fax, telephonic calls after which valid copies are sent even by hand delivery.
The strict observation of liquor movement has come into force since the implementation of the election code of conduct, which will continue till the completion of the polls and counting of ballots.