Latest news with #Excisedepartment
Hans India
5 days ago
- Hans India
Excise sleuths bust illicit liquor bottling racket
Rajanna Siricilla: In a significant crackdown on illicit liquor trade, the Excise department in Vemulawada on Tuesday apprehended two persons on the charge of operating an illicit bottling unit that repackaged cheap liquor in branded alcohol bottles. The arrests followed a surveillance-based operation undertaken on the basis of credible intelligence. Speaking at a press conference held at the local Excise office here on Wednesday, Circle Inspector Rajasekhar Rao disclosed that one of the accused, identified as Tuniki Karthik from R&R Colony in Rudravanam under Vemulawada Urban mandal, had been clandestinely collecting used bottles of reputed liquor brands such as Black & White, William's Son, Black Dog, Red Label, and Signature. These bottles were reportedly refilled with spurious alcohol and sold to unsuspecting consumers in the local market. The Excise team, acting swiftly on gathered intelligence, conducted a raid at Karthik's residence where they discovered a substantial stock of counterfeit liquor. The seizure included 9 two-litre and 9 one-litre water bottles containing low-grade liquor, in addition to three Signature-branded bottles. Upon interrogation, Karthik confessed to running the operation for over six months with the help of an accomplice, identified as Damarapalli Santosh of Vemulawada town. Subsequent searches at Santosh's premises yielded further contraband — including three bottles each of Signature and William's (750 ml), and one bottle each of IB, RC Red, and Royal Green, along with a half-litre bottle of RC Red. Officials estimate the current market value of the seized material to be around Rs 50,000, with the total volume of illicit transactions conducted by the duo suspected to have crossed Rs 2 lakh during the six-month period. Both accused have been remanded to judicial custody. Further investigation is underway to trace the source of the cheap liquor used and determine if the racket has wider linkages. CI Rajasekhar Rao reiterated the department's commitment to curbing the sale of illicit liquor, stating that 'there will be zero tolerance towards activities endangering public health. We urge citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious liquor trade to the authorities.'
Indian Express
31-07-2025
- Indian Express
What action have you taken? asks Delhi HC to police, Excise dept on illegal bars, restaurants & clubs
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi Police and the Delhi government's Excise department to submit the details of the action taken against clubs, pubs, bars and restaurants, which are operating illegally, including those running in violation of the licence conditions. The bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Gedela was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Mahtab Khan, a Delhi resident. In the petition, Khan submitted that at least 21 such establishments were operating in violation of the licence conditions. Violations included operating and selling alcohol past the permitted hours, clubs operating out of fake hotels, a lack of ample security and safety measures, serving alcohol without adhering to age-limit restrictions, among others. Upon an oral inquiry from the court on the action taken, the Excise department informed the bench that it has already imposed penalties on 14 of the 21 establishments listed in the petition. The court went on to direct the authorities to file responses on the action they have taken against such violations so far. Khan, through his advocate Sitab Ali Chaudhary, highlighted before the bench that the operations of these establishments are causing a loss to the state exchequer due to violation of licensing regulations under the Excise Act. 'These establishments are operating clandestinely with the apparent assistance and complicity of officers from both the Delhi Police and the Excise department,' the PIL alleged. It also flagged that several establishments were operating until 7 am, defying the order that prevents pubs, and bars from serving alcohol past 1 am. In his PIL, Khan argued that only establishments with L-16 licence can operate for 24 hours. He underlined that the mandatory prerequisite for issuing an L-16 licence is that such an establishment must be located within the premises of a 5-star hotel or a hotel of a higher category. Khan, in his petition, has listed 21 such establishments where he or his associates visited and found various violations, including some being located in places where fire tenders could not enter in the absence of a proper approach road. The PIL argued that it puts people's lives at risk. The court has posted the matter for further consideration on August 27.
The Hindu
18-06-2025
- The Hindu
Jeevitotsavam to nurture talents of higher secondary students: CM
A programme Jeevitotsavam has been drawn up to nurture the creative talents and personality of higher secondary students who are in their adolescence, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. At a press conference on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said activities that were devised as practical and transformative challenges would be held over 21 days. At the end of the programme, a State integration carnival named 'Jeevitotsavam 2025' will be organised. On the problem of substance abuse, Mr. Vijayan said like students and teachers, parents too should be made aware of the ill-effects of drugs and other substances. Modules that included parents too in training programmes had been prepared. Detailed guidelines had been given to schools on how to remain alert to the problem of substance abuse and the functioning of 'janajagratha samithis.' The problem of drugs had been included in school textbooks as part of the revised curriculum. Along with this, adolescent education too had been given a thrust. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) had brought out specific textbooks to encourage healthy lifestyle among children. Teachers were being given training on how to recognise drug abuse and violence among children. The trainings would continue to equip teachers to provide preliminary counselling. Anti-narcotic clubs were functioning in schools with the support of the Excise department to organise awareness programmes against drug use and monitor students. In select schools, 'jagratha' brigades with 30 to 50 students had been formed to coordinate various activities. Peer groups were also being roped in to address drug-related problems. Teachers had been given strict instructions to report instances of substance abuse correctly. Complaints received should be examined under the leadership of the head teacher once a week and steps taken. They had also been familiarised with physical activity such as zumba to ensure students' physical health, the Chief Minister said.
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Hry tweaks excise policy to ease liquor bidding process
Gurugram: The Haryana Excise and Taxation department has amended key provisions of the Excise Policy 2025–27. The changes, which came into effect this week, aim to reduce the financial burden on bidders and make the policy more business-friendly, particularly for Gurugram East and West, where the bidding process had to be rescheduled due to the amendments made, officials said. Under the revised policy, the department has lowered the total security requirement from 15% to 11% of the licence fee. Additionally, the initial security deposit at the time of bidding has been reduced from 3% to 2%, and the percentage of the licence fee required to start lifting the allotted liquor quota has also been cut from 7% to 5%. These measures are expected to ease entry barriers for potential bidders and encourage wider competition across retail zones. Deputy excise and taxation commissioner (DETC), Gurugram West, Jitender Dudi said, 'The amendments have been introduced to create a more investor-friendly environment and enhance participation, especially from small and medium bidders who were previously constrained by high upfront deposits. We believe the new terms will strike a balance between transparency and ease of doing business.' According to the revised schedule, the e-tendering for Gurugram West will now be held on May 26 and 27, while the Gurugram East bidding will take place on May 30 and 31. The bidding window for both zones will remain open from 9:00am to 4:00pm on the respective days, with evaluations to be carried out at 5:00pm. Another crucial amendment allows 91% of the licence fee to be paid in monthly instalments, with the remaining 9% will be adjusted from the security amount in the last two months of the policy year. Excise department officials said this will significantly ease liquidity pressure on licence holders, who earlier faced stiff upfront payment requirements. The Excise department has also set up help desks in both East and West Gurugram offices to assist bidders with registration and e-tendering procedures. Updated policy details are available on the official website The policy changes have drawn positive feedback from industry stakeholders who view them as a long-needed reform in Haryana's excise system. The department reiterated that the amendments were made in public interest and to ensure efficient implementation of the new excise policy. Supreme Court advocate Rajeev Yadav, who has played an important role in the new policy, said that the excise department's connivance with tainted tax evasion bidders is evident. 'They have made ₹60 lakhs as the financial capability of a bidder whereas the average reserve price per zone in the east district of Gurugram is ₹40-45 crores. Black money has always been routed via liquor sales without bills and taxes and this will increase further. They indulge in black marketing and when caught then a small financial bidder (servant or peon) is blacklisted to be followed by a new fake bidder,' he said.
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- Indian Express
Inter-state liquor smuggling: 1,134 cases lodged in Delhi — 706 from 5 districts on Haryana border
Of the 1,134 FIRs lodged in connection with inter-state smuggling and sale of illicit liquor across 15 police districts of Delhi between August 31, 2022, and April 24, 2025, 706 cases have been lodged at five districts that share borders with Haryana, government data has revealed. While 193 FIRs have been lodged in the Southwest district, 145 were registered in West, 126 in South, 125 in Outer, and 117 in South East. All these districts share a border with Haryana cities like Gurgaon, Faridabad, and Bahadurgarh, among others. 'Interstate smuggling of liquor largely happens through the Haryana borders. One of the key reasons behind this is the deployment of weak security… Proper checking and enforcement are a big issue, especially at Haryana's border areas. The department's enforcement team has also observed that liquor is coming directly from the manufacturer and warehouses…,' said a senior excise official. The official said the disparity in liquor prices between Delhi and Haryana is another major reason behind inter-state smuggling. 'Liquor is costlier in Delhi when compared to Haryana. Also, there are private vends and wholesale shops in Haryana where customers get good offers on liquor. So, most of the time, people buy from these shops in bulk and smuggle the same into Delhi to sell the stuff illegally…' Asked if the non-availability of some liquor brands in Delhi — which have been named in the excise policy scam case — is also a reason behind inter-state smuggling, another senior official said, 'Initially, when the new liquor policy was scrapped, there were issues. But in a few months, a large number of brands registered in Delhi. Certain brands are not allowed in Delhi, as these are involved in the excise policy scam case… But more than 900 registered brands are available in Delhi… So, that is not the case.' The official added that not many such cases can be found when it comes to other NCR borders like Noida and Ghaziabad, as liquor in Delhi is cheaper than in Uttar Pradesh. 'To stop illegal smuggling and supply, the Excise department has increased surprise inspections and is also conducting raids every Saturday,' said an official, adding that a special enforcement drive was launched recently by the department. After the old liquor policy was scrapped, only 792 government-run liquor vends operate in Delhi. Four corporations — Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, Delhi Consumers' Cooperative Wholesale Store Limited, Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, and Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited — run these vends. According to industry sources, however, Delhi is also facing a shortage of popular brands of beer such as Kingfisher and Corona. These, however, are available in NCR cities. Officials said this also leads to revenue loss and illicit liquor supply in the city. Sources in the Excise department said it will be writing to the four corporations to order more popular brands of beer to stop illegal supply and provide better availability to people in Delhi.
