Excise crackdown on Gautam Budh Nagar liquor shops

Hindustan Times

24-05-2025

The Uttar Pradesh excise department launched surprise inspections of liquor shops in various parts of Gautam Budh Nagar district late Thursday night. Shops selling country liquor, Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), and beer in Devta Sarkarpur, Bilaspur, and Bilaspur turn were inspected for compliance.
Officials conducted dummy purchases to verify authenticity of liquor and checked CCTV cameras to ensure mandated surveillance systems were operational.
'The excise department is conducting a special enforcement drive across Gautam Budh Nagar to ensure strict compliance with all excise regulations. Our teams are inspecting liquor shops for valid stock, proper billing, functioning CCTV surveillance, and overall adherence to norms. We are also carrying out dummy purchases to detect illegal practices,' said excise officer Subodh Kumar.
The department also set up road checkpoints at Sirsa T-point along with police personnel from Kasna police station to intercept illegally transported liquor and monitor suspicious vehicle movement.
The focus remained on identifying operational irregularities, stock violations, and any activity leading to revenue leakage or unauthorised sale. During inspections, no major violations were found and minor irregularities were detected. Notices are being issued to the concerned vendors accordingly, officials said.
'All liquor outlets must comply strictly with excise rules. From stock records to CCTV systems, everything is being checked thoroughly. Any violations—big or small—will lead to immediate action. Our enforcement teams will continue surprise checks across the district,' said Kumar.
The actions were part of a broader enforcement blitz on the directives of excise commissioner Adarsh Singh. The campaign is being carried out under the supervision of the district magistrate Manish Verma and commissioner of police, Laxmi Singh, as part of a zero-tolerance policy toward excise violations.