The State Cabinet has approved the overall excise policy of the State for the year 2017-18. As per the decision, the English/country liquor shops located in the periphery of 5 km from the Narmada banks will be closed.
In the current year no new liquor shops will be opened in the State. In compliance with the order of the High Court of Jabalpur 572 liquor shops will be shifted 500 metres away from the highways. Similarly, in compliance with the order of the Supreme Court, 1427 liquor shops will be shifted 500 metres away from the highways.
The policy has three parts as liquor control, revenue collection and ease of doing business. A campaign will be conducted for de-addiction beside various programmes and seminars in order to generate awareness and to control tendency of liquor consumption in the society. This will include yoga and meditation therapy centre, information about diseases occurring due to liquor consumption and utilisation of social media resources.
Besides, ultra modern features will be added in the hologram for the year 2017-18. Provision of SMS alert has been made to prevent duplicacy. Also arrangement to verify the legal source of liquor has been made in this.
Under the liquor control, besides arranging seminars on de-addiction, arrangements will be made in the curriculum of schools and colleges to spread awareness regarding diseases arising from drug consumption.
Provision to suspend driving licence for six months for the first time and for two years on second time has been made for driving under inebriated condition. Further on third instance, letter will be issued to the transport department for cancellation of licence. Moreover, the warning 'liquor is harmful for health' will be mentioned prominently on the boards of the liquor shops and liquor bottles.
A State amendment proposal will be sent to Home department for reforms in under section 184 of the IPC to be used as a defence against drunkenness as criminal obligation. Under the policy, a provision has been made to make arrangement of a list of habitual criminals related to excise in police stations and a list of habitual customers in liquor shops.
As per the decision of the Cabinet, the 58 existing liquor shops of 12 districts operational within 5 km of Narmada river will be closed. These include 39 country liquor shops and 19 English liquor shops of Dindori, Mandla, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Raisen, Hoshangabad, Sehore, Harda, Dewas, Khandwa, Dhar and Khargone districts.
A decision regarding principal secretary/ secretary posted in micro, small and medium enterprises department to be nominated as director of the Madhya Pradesh Venture Finance limited from the State Government has been taken by the Cabinet.
Approval has been given to nominate additional Chief Secretary/ Principal Secretary of finance department as director and chairman as well as in Madhya Pradesh Venture Finance limited and in the board of director of Madhya Pradesh Venture Finance trustee limited.
The Cabinet has given the approval for 25 posts each for commandant offices of the newly-formed Singrauli and Alirajpur districts. Also approval has been given for creation of total 495 posts for volunteers in ratio of one -one company for Singrauli, Alirajpur and Agar-Malwa districts.
The Cabinet has given the approval to fill the 10,905 vacant posts of contractual teachers of grade -1, 11, 200 posts of contractual teachers grade-2 and 9,540 posts of grade-3 for direct recruitment under the school education department. A total of 31,645 posts will be filled through professional examination board by conducting online eligibility test.