Chandigarh, July 5
The Excise Department has entered into a partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar, for ‘structural audit’ of the layout and ‘technical audit’ of the mass flow meters (MFM) installed in liquor units.
The audit by the team of IIT experts started today from M/S Rajasthan Liquors Limited, Dera Bassi, and would cover all manufacturing units of the state over six months.
An official spokesperson said the department had collaborated with an independent agency to review and audit the working and systems of manufacturing units, which included 16 distilleries, four breweries and 25 bottling plants.
The units, which manufactured extra neutral alcohol, denatured spirit, Indian made foreign liquor, Punjab medium liquor, and beer, were established after the grant of licence by the Excise Department and worked as per the excise laws.
The spokesperson said the structural layout of the units and pipelines laid out for carrying the extra neutral alcohol/denatured spirit/rectified spirit were required to strictly follow the excise laws.
Recently, MFMs were installed in all distilleries, bottling plants, and breweries on the insistence of the department to accurately measure the quantity of ENA or other spirits produced and later dispatched or consumed for bottling.
Excise officials inspected these units and kept a vigil on the units to initiate action in case of any discrepancy. To ensure transparency in the working of manufacturing units and plug loopholes, the department decided to get a third-party audit done from the IIT-Ropar. — TNS
45 plants covered