The liquor vendors of the district are earning lakhs of rupees per month by charging extra from the customers in the name of Government by false claims that price of liquor has been increased.
The officers of Excise Department have conducted surprise inspection to confirm the ill practice by the vendors and have started action against the guilty. The liquor shop vendors are charging Rs 10 per bottle with no such hike announced by the Government. The district has six shops of Indian Made Foreign liquor (IMFl) and nine country liquor shops.
According to official records, these shops have sold 6,0750 litre of country made liquor and 3,4691 liters of IMFl and 3,5640 liters of beer in the month of June. The officers of Excise Department had conducted surprise inspection of five liquor shops including country made shop at Basin, country made and foreign liquor shops at Rajim and country made and foreign liquor shops at the district headquarter.
Sources said that the officers found that the customers were being charged Rs 10 extra per bottle. Case was registered against the vendor and notices have been issued to them. Official sources said that the process of cancelling the license of these shops has been initiated. However, the vendors have not been deterred by the action and most of them are still charging extra from the customers.
District Excise Officer lolas Barla said that the department has not received any order from the Government regarding hike in price of liquor.”We have conducted inspection of some shops on receiving complaints. The process of cancelling the license of shops, found guilty of overcharging, has been initiated,” said Barla.