ECI directs Assam State Excise Dept to remain vigilant over illegal liquor inflow

GUWAHATI: Apprehension runs high of clandestine liquor inflow from three neighbouring States influencing the electorates in the run-up to and also during the Assam Assembly election.

Worried of such a possibility, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked the State Excise department to be extra vigilant. The State Excise department is taking up the matter with its counterparts in the neighbouring States of Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

The situation has come to such a pass that last year the State Excise department seized over three lakh litres of illegally transported liquor worth Rs 17 crore from Arunachal Pradesh alone.

Talking to The Sentinel, the Commissioner of the Excise department, Rakesh Kumar said, "We don't want to leave any loopholes since the Election Commission of India has asked us to be extra vigilant on the inflow of liquor from the neighbouring States."

Last week, the State Excise department held meetings with its counterparts in Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. It is going to meet the West Bengal Excise department on February 9.

Despite the department being extra vigilant, the unabated entry of illegal liquor from Arunachal Pradesh continues. And this is backed by statistics.

From January to December last year, illegally transported liquor from Arunachal Pradesh worth Rs 17 crore was seized. In the past three years, 60 lakh litres of illegally transported liquor worth Rs 55 crore was seized from the Assam districts adjoining Arunachal Pradesh.

What's the mystery behind such a large-scale outflow of liquor from Arunachal Pradesh to Nagaland, Bihar, West Bengal among others via Assam?

According sources, the reason is MRP (Maximum Retail Price). There has been a vast difference between the MRPs of liquor brands in Arunachal Pradesh and other States.

The seizure locations of liquor consignments in Assam from Arunachal Pradesh have let the Excise sleuths track the routes used for such illegal transportation. The three routes are: Hollongi-Gohpur that goes to Upper Assam; Bandardewa-Lakhimpur leading to Upper Assam; and Bhalukpung-Tezpur that further goes to lower Assam, Nagaland, West Bengal and Bihar.

Even though surveillance by the Excise sleuths has been increased on all these three transit routes, illegal transportation of liquor from Arunachal Pradesh still goes on. Arunachal Pradesh has five bottling plants and one distillery, and the liquor consignments come from these six sources.

To deter this fraudulent practice from the neighbouring State, Assam Excise has imposed some stringent measures on the companies concerned making them deposit guarantee of Rs 25 lakh each with the Assam Government which will be forfeited in the event of violation of any Assam Excise Rules.

Another measure is the mandatory use of digital locks and GPS (Global Positioning System) for all consignments going to and from Arunachal Pradesh passing through Assam.

In the past four years from 2017-2020, a total of 27,000 cases were registered; and around 13,000 arrests were made in the districts of Assam adjoining Arunachal Pradesh – Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji.

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