The Uttar Pradesh government has stepped up vigil in eastern districts bordering poll-bound Bihar ostensibly to thwart cross border liquor smuggling. With Assembly elections due in November and Bihar being a dry state, high volume liquor smuggling to woo voters was a strong possibility.
Liquor smuggling from neighbouring Haryana and Punjab is quite rampant into western districts of UP. The bacchus is then surreptitiously transported to other districts in and eastwards too.
In the run-up to 2019 Lok Sabha polls, UP Excise department had seized nearly 1.7 million litres of illicit liquor, valued at more than Rs 45 crore.
Additional Chief Secretary, Excise, Sanjay Bhoosreddy said that Excise and Police departments have prepared a roadmap to set up special checkposts in border areas to check trade and smuggling of illicit liquor. Besides, officials will also monitor shops and other businesses along UP-Bihar border for possible illicit liquor trade and overcharging.
Regular inspections have been mandated to check unscrupulous liquor trade and supply, which not only robs the state government of Excise revenue, but exposes consumers to health hazards of sub-standard products.
“Necessary instructions have been issued to departmental officials and shop owners have been warned of strict action in case of overcharging of products.
Meanwhile, the Excise department is also accelerating its vigilance activities against manufacturing of illicit liquor in the state.
In September, 2020, the Excise department had arrested 2,800 persons and seized 328 vehicles for illicit liquor trade. A large quantity of liquor was also impounded.