From a Correspondent
JORHAT, February 5: A flourishing trade of uninterrupted sale of foreign liquor without obtaining valid license from the State Excise department in makeshift bamboo huts in various dhabas and concrete buildings claiming to be outlets of hotels situated alongside the tiol Highway 37 in Jorhat district was busted by a team led by probatiory Deputy Superintendent of Police Pallav Tamuli on Tuesday. Notably the sudden raid yielded several hundred bottles of foreign liquor stored and served in loose to customers without any permission. Notably, these illegal liquor–selling hamlets are causing a sizeable loss of revenue to the government. The people running this business allegedly pay a handsome amount to the Excise department officials to keep off their illegal business. Even during the raid, the police were allegedly offered several thousands of rupees repeatedly over the phone to keep matters under the wrap.
Among the different locations, the raid was conducted in places like Fancy Ali, Old Public Bus Stand, Lichubari and the NH 37 bypass in Jorhat leading to the recovery of the illegal liquor. In RN Dhaba, liquor amounting to several lakhs of rupees was seized. The dhaba had a license with to mislead people which belonged to Dhrubojyoti Bora of Bypass Bohotia gaon under Pulibor Police outpost, issued by Horusorai Village Panchayat under form no 16 of Assam Panchayat Raj Act 46 (4), thus directing the owner to carry out business of parking of cycles, rickshaws, three–tyre hand–pulled carts and additiolly a shop, hotel and barber’s shop on an annual payment of Rs 700 from September 5, 2014 to March 30, 2015.
However Excise documents available with the Superintendent Office in Jorhat tell a different story. Talking to The Sentinel, Excise Superintendent Boni Hojai said, “I totally refute charges that we are being paid any money to keep away from this type of illegal activities. Under the direction of the Additiol Deputy Commissioner of Excise we carry out time–to–time checks and also under the supervision of the Circle Officer. As far as RN Dhaba is concerned, as per official records, the dhaba does not have any license. But an enquiry report submitted by the Inspector of Excise points out about an application filed by the joint owners of Brahmaputra Resort, Pronob Doloi and Susanta Sarma requesting official clearance to shift the existing IMFL ON license from the Brahmaputra Resort to RN Dhaba at a distance of 150 meters in the premises of Roktim Neog, son of Duleshwar Neog, Nowsolia Gaon under Pulibor Police outpost and under Dag No 499 and PP no 95 in a land measuring 2 katha 7 lessa. It also said that the dhaba has enough room for storage and selling counter facilities and is a RCC building measuring 1000 sq.ft situated at Bohotia gaon NH 37 Jorhat Bypass.”
The Excise Superintendent further added, “This is just an application and is still in the process before getting an approval. But RN Dhaba cannot sell liquor until and unless granted permission and it is totally illegal. One more point I would like to add that once after attaining permission every dhaba a has to procure the liquor from a bond, thus paying government revenue beforehand and obtaining clearance from the Excise Inspector. Without license all this become meaningless as they then procure it from the open market, thus paving way for corruption and revenue loss.”