Excise dept to maintain strict vigil on alcohol sale

TEAM HERALD

teamherald@herald-goa.com

PANJIM: With “booze” being a buzz word during election time in Goa, the Excise Department has issued directions to alcohol retailers, dealers, and wholesalers in the State, to submit day-to-day transactions of purchases and sales for the next three months.

An Excise official said the directions have been issued keeping in account the forthcoming assembly election. The Goa Assembly election is scheduled to be held on March 3.

According to Excise Department there are 6000 alcohol outlets and 67 manufacturing units in the State. Though all manufacturing units are in operation, only twenty operate on regular basis, said the officer.

Moreover, they have also been asked to submit details of purchases and sales for the last one year so that it could be determined if there was exceptional increase in sale of alcohol during intervening months of January and February.

The official said increase of 30 per cent is considered normal but this being an election time, it could be more. The department has also requested the Excise Departments of two boarder States, Karnataka and Maharashtra to maintain strict vigil at border checkposts during next three months.

The department will have more flying squads. Currently, there is one flying squad in each taluka but henceforth there will be two.