As the Winter continues bringing mercury down day after day, the State Excise Department has intensified its vigil and raids on illicit liquor makers and sellers in State. A senior department official said that the Government was learnt to have agreed upon bringing illicit liquor making and selling under Crime Control Act net which ensures harsh punishment for perpetrators afterwards.

Excise Commissioner Vinod Shanker Singh said on Monday that the department was very much aware of the fact that liquor consumption used to increase exponentially with falling temperature which brought illicit liquor producers back on work. “But this year we have come harsh on them like never before. We have arrested dozens of illicit liquor makers and sellers in the State and excise officials are kept on alert,” added Singh.

He also said that District Excise Officers and other officials down the line in all 24 districts were directed to keep illicit liquor making under control anyway. “Apart from this, the department is in process of recruiting retired army and police personnel in its brigade that keeps eye on illicit liquor producing activities and to demolish factories if any,” said Singh.

“We have been conducting raids in all 24 districts since some time, and have arrested dozens of manufacturers and sellers indulged in illegal activity to make quick money with playing lives of the innocent. Moreover, we are also taking help of local administration which does have more penetrating eyes on such activities for obvious reasons including their reach and information sources. We are getting their help in many districts, especially in areas where local flavoured liquor remained in demand and in routine of consumption.”

Notably, seven people, including two JAP jawans had died of hooch on September 7 this year in Ranchi after all of them consumed illicit liquor. Death toll mounted to 20 within three days of the incident. Few more hooch deaths were reported from other parts of the State thereafter. The police in Ranchi busted many illicit liquor producing factories in Namkum area and other parts of the outskirts of Ranchi and destroyed their entire set up.

However, experts believe that entire game of illicit liquor producing was being run under guidance of and knowledge of the local administration and excise department people only. A retired excise department official said that such activities were not at all possible without consent of local excise department and administration people’s involvement. He also said, seeking anonymity, that until that nexus of excise people, local police officials and liquor makers are busted, the whole exercise would continue appearing an eyewash.