Monitor liquor sale in Rajasthan ahead of polls, state EC tells excise department

JAIPUR: As the assembly elections approach closer, Rajasthan excise department is all geared up in trying to control the manufacture, sale and storage of liquor in the state.

After the implementation of the model code of conduct, the department has been sent guidelines by the state election commission to monitor the consumption of liquor in the state. The excise department has to send a daily report of the sale and manufacture of liquor in the state to the election commission. Excise department and state police are working together and around 11 lakh litres of liquor have been captured by both the departments.

Excise Commissioner of Rajasthan, Praveen Gupta while talking to TOI said, “We have been given direction that if the sale of liquor goes more than 30% abnormally, than we have to go for stricter vigilance. As per the directions, we are sending daily online report of the sale and consumption of liquor - legal, illegal, brand and area wise. Kacchi basti and the border-area villages are regularly checked.”

As per the data made available by Gupta, Rs 450 crore worth liquor is consumed monthly and Rs 15.5 crore worth liquor is consumed daily, in Rajasthan. However, he denied any unusual activity or sale this year and said that as compared to 2017, this year, liquor sale legally is -2.68%. Special cameras are being installed at the distilleries in the state and liquor manufacturers have to send daily register of the manufacture and supply of liquor from their distilleries to the excise department.

Election commission has taken meetings with excise and police departments of Rajasthan as well as with neighbouring states, from where illegal liquor is supplied. Around 40 check posts at the border, are monitoring illegal liquor supply. Bikaner, Jhunjhunu, Churu, Alwar, Hanumangarh, Ganganagar are among such border districts, from where liquor is being smuggled inside the state.