To check anomalies, Uttarakhand tightens noose on liquor shops

To check overrating and overstocking in liquor shops, excise minister Prakash Pant has directed district excise officers to crack whip on the irregularity.

To streamline transparent allocation, e-tendering process will be completed on April 9, he said.

Liquor is being sold across Uttarakhand above printed price. This could vary anything between ₹10-50 a bottle depending on the brand.

The government, however, has taken strict cognisance of this issue and has directed to raid such shops.

“We have directed DMs to carry raids and check this discrepancy. Wherever there’s overstocking or overpricing, the shopkeepers would be penalised as per our new excise policy which has provision of serious action against violators,” excise and finance minister Pant said on the sidelines of an event at BJP state headquarters on Friday.

Meanwhile, he also mentioned that 282 liquor shops have been allocated for the 2018-19 financial year against the target. But, allocation of remaining 178 shops has been discontinued owing due to lack of bidders promising 100% revenue as expected.

The order was issued on April 5.

The government is now planning to do e-tender for 178 shops. “We will do e-tender on April 9 so that the allocation of shops remains transparent,” he said.

For bars and restaurants, Pant said the process was being streamlined and the allocations for this financial year would be completed till April 25.

Insiders claimed during a review meeting in Vidhan Sabha on Friday morning, the minister was told that against the target of ₹136 crore for April, only ₹104 crore has been achieved.

The government had kept ₹2,310 crore revenue target for 2017-18 of which they would only achieve ₹2,100 crore.

An extension of April, however, was taken but achieving the target still seems difficult.

On the 39th Foundation Day of the BJP, party state president Ajay Bhatt interacted with the media here. However, he remained mum over his chances of contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

“I have dedicated my life to the party and wherever they deemed me fit, I will go there,” he said.

People close to the matter claimed Bhatt has been in the run for a Lok Sabha ticket from Nainital. He lost assembly election last year from Ranikhet seat.