TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
BELGAUM: With illegal spurious Goan liquor trafficking on the rise since the last few weeks, Belgaum Police have set up 25 check posts at strategic locations on all the Goa-Belgaum roads.
The measures have been initiated to control the flow of liquor from Goa to Belgaum and Maharashtra. With the elections to all the local bodies including elections to the City Corporation of Belgaum round the corner, candidates and their supporters rampantly use Goan liquor combined with local ‘biryani’ of cheap quality to lure voters.
According to Superintendent of Police Sandeep Patil, police have identified strategic locations on Goa-Belgaum NH4A at Khanapur and Londa, Belgaum-Goa Chorla road at Jamboti and Kankumbi and Belgaum-Vengurla road via Sawantwadi at Shinoli.
“Under the assistance of the state excise department, the police department has set up 25 check posts and all vehicles are being thoroughly checked by the police at all the locations,” informed SP Patil.
It may be recalled that recently, the officials of state excise had seized Goa made liquor worth Rs 12.5 lakh in different incidents. A jeep and a tempo carrying Goan liquor were seized and three persons were arrested.
“We are in constant touch with Goa and Maharashtra police and are seeking their co-operation to control the illicit liquor trade as several incidents of liquor trading are being reported from different parts of the district bordering Goa and Maharashtra,” SP Patil said.
“In view of the elections to the local bodies that are being held from March 7, every measure is being adopted in the forthcoming Goa Assembly session without fail. Interestingly, pioneering members of the special status movement for the State of Goa were left out of the meeting Monday.
On being contacted, Antonio Lobo, Convenor of the Movement for Special Status for Goa said, “We were not called for this meeting.”
Lobo said that the MSSG is planning a symposium on this issue of special status scheduled on March 17.
Presently, there appears to be two groups rallying for special status ie Goa’s Movement for Special Status, and the pioneering group ~ Movement for Special Status for Goa. Sources opined it is high time that both groups merge and fight unitedly for Special Status for Goa.
