The state administration has tightened its belt to control overpricing of liquor in shops across the state. Taking grave note of the practice of overpricing, the newly appointed Excise Commissioner Sushil Kumar has directed the department officials to regularly monitor the shops. Talking to The Pioneer on Friday, Kumar said that he has asked the district excise officers and enforcement teams to inspect the liquor shops on a regular basis and send him daily reports. He informed that in their visits the officials would keep a close watch on the illicit liquor trade and ensure that overrating of liquor is not done. The commissioner added that he would continuously monitor the daily reports for next 15 days and take action based on them. He accepted that the enforcement teams in the department are facing the problems like manpower shortage, vehicles and infrastructure related issues. “All these issues are being looked into and efforts would be made to strengthen the enforcement wing,’’ he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that the overpricing of liquor is a major issue in Uttarakhand. Though overpricing occurs in almost all shops, the problem is very grave in the shops located in the mountainous areas.