PANJIM: The State government has launched an awareness campaign asking the liquor licence holders to maintain records daily of purchases and sales, failing which strict action would be initiated. The directions, already in existence by the Excise Department, lay more emphasis on wholesalers and retailers in a bid to ‘ease their business.’
Excise Commissioner Amit Satija said that the system is already in force with only development being introduction of mobile app during the recent election processes in the State.
“The guidelines to maintain daily financial statement already exist for all license holders. We also created a mobile app in order to simplify the process of uploading daily sales and purchases. The licence holders are at liberty to either update through the App or maintain physical record. The entire system is to only help the traders ease their business,” he told Herald.
As a part of the ongoing awareness, the department has sent text messages to all licence holders through the NIC reminding them to heed to the directions. With confusion prevailing among some liquor traders, Satija clarified that its focus is wholesalers and retailers as they deal with bulk quantity.
Even as the Bars & Restaurant owners are given a free hand on the implementation, the department has warned of action against the violators.
The Goa Liquor Traders Association has meanwhile requested Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to grant time to the wine shops and bars to implement the directions. It has also slammed attempts by certain sections to politicise the issue.
“Neither the association nor any of its members have approached any political parties with complaints of harassment from excise officials. We request spokespersons of political parties to not drag liquor traders to fulfill their political gains,” the association President Dattaprasad Naik said in a media statement issued on Saturday evening.
“I have spoken to CM requesting for time to be given to wine shops and bars to implement the updates of daily sales and purchases on the new Excise App. CM has assured us not to panic and nobody will be harassed by any official,” he further said.
