Alarmed at the spurt in smuggling of liquor from eastern UP, the Bihar government has sought help from its counterparts in UP. Top officials of UP and Bihar met at Collectorate Hall, Ballia on Saturday, to thrash out measures to curb bootlegging to the eastern state after the Bihar government imposed a total prohibition on liquor on April 7.
Officials of Bihar conveyed to their UP counterparts that growing smuggling had made a mockery of the policy of total prohibition. The UP officials afformed their support to curb liquor smuggling.
DM of Ballia Rakesh Kumar said that a joint team of police and excise department would be constituted to raid bordering areas to prevent bootlegging.
"We have stressed for better co-ordination between officials of both states to prevent the malaise. Strict action would be taken against offenders for regular checkings will be carried out on the area bordering Chhapra and Siwan districts of Bihar. Check posts will also be set up at the sensitive points," said Rakesh Kumar.
Meanwhile, DM of Chhapra (Bihar) Deepak Anand said that special check posts will be set up on the UP-Bihar border in Ballia and joint operation would be launched to counter the illegal flow of liquor into Bihar from UP.
DM of Siwan (Bihar) Anand Kumar said that officials of both states will exchange the list of criminals involved in liquor smuggling.
The prohibition in Bihar has proved to be a boon for Excise department of UP. The number of vends has been increased in east UP districts of Ballia, Deoria, Kushinagar, Ghazipur, Chanduli. Besides, the Minimum Guarantee Quota (MGQ) for liquor shops in these districts have been raised. M
As per UP Excise department records, sale of India Made Foreign liquor (IMFl) has witnessed a spiral of several hundred percent in east UP districtswhile it is 50 poer cent across the state. Similarly, the sale of Country liquor has also recorded sharp increase in these eastern districts.