Excise department auctions 2,000 seized vehicles for Rs 5 crore

Delhi Government’s excise department has auctioned over 2,000 seized vehicles, fetching `5 crore in revenue, and cleared over 5,000 pending chemical analysis reports, bringing the backlog of its type to zero. The auction of vehicles seized under the Delhi Excise Act freed up space at police station premises and public land.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office statement, more than 2,000 vehicles seized under the Delhi Excise Act had been lying for a long time outside police stations and on adjoining public land. The auction of vehicles seized under the Delhi Excise Act freed up space at police station premises and public land. To address the issue, the Excise Department undertook a special disposal drive under the Delhi Excise Act. As part of the exercise, the process of seizure and public auction was streamlined and more than 2,000 vehicles were auctioned.

The action has also brought significant economic and administrative benefits. Timely auction of the vehicles helped prevent further depreciation in the value of the seized assets and generated more than Rs five crore in revenue for the Government. The removal of the vehicles has also freed up space occupied in police station premises and on public land. The process is continuing so that the remaining seized vehicles can be systematically identified and disposed of. The department is also looking to dispose of the remaining seized vehicles.

The excise department has, in parallel, undertaken a major administrative overhaul of the functioning of the Excise Control Laboratory. More than 5,000 old chemical analysis cases related to police cases had been pending at the laboratory. The department has disposed of all these pending cases, bringing the active backlog down to zero.

“Earlier, laboratory reports on seized liquor samples could take years to arrive. This often delayed the related police investigations and subsequently affected the legal process. To address the situation, staff have been recruited against posts that had remained vacant for a long time, while the modernisation of the Excise Control Laboratory is also under way. Following these measures, chemical analysis reports are now being prepared and issued within days instead of years,” the CMO said.

Faster access to chemical analysis reports is expected to directly benefit enforcement of excise laws and police investigations. According to the department, a faster testing system will strengthen excise enforcement and help develop an effective deterrent against the smuggling of illicit liquor.

Timely chemical analysis reports will also help the police complete investigations and file charge sheets in a timely manner. This is expected to help cases move more effectively through the courts and support efforts to ensure a higher conviction rate.           

According to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, her Government’s commitment is not limited to formulating schemes, but is also about making the system of governance more transparent, accountable, functional and outcome-oriented. Timely disposal of long-pending cases, better utilisation of Government resources and faster administrative processes are important steps towards good governance, she added.