Bootlegging on a high in Mohali

Akash Ghai
Tribune News Service
Mohali, January 19

Bootlegging seems to be virtually uncontrollable in the district, which has seen a 13-time increase in recovery of smuggled liquor in a span of four years.

Teams of the Mohali police and the Excise and Taxation Department have confiscated 10,948 cases of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and Punjab medium liquor (PML) since April 1 last year. These included 7,707 cases of PML and 3,241 cases of IMFL.

In the fiscal 2015-16, only 827 cases (580 PML and 247 IMFL) of smuggled liquor were recovered. During the period, 129 cases pertaining to liquor smuggling were registered.

The figure has already touched 317 in nine months of this fiscal.

If one goes by the claims of senior officials of the Excise and Taxation Department here, the situation is alarming as the recovery is only a fraction of the actual smuggling in the state.

“I do not hesitate in saying that a large quantity of English and country-made liquor is being smuggled from Chandigarh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh by unscrupulous elements. The sad part is that our counterparts in UT and other states are apparently uninterested in taking action against this illegal practice,” said Paramjit Singh, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Mohali.

As per the official data, Mohali cops and excise officials have confiscated 339 cases of PML and 154 cases of IMFL in 2016-17. The quantum of seizure rose substantially to 4,420 cases (2,826 PML and 1,594 IMFL) in 2017-18.

In 2017-18, as many as 214 FIRs were registered at various police stations in the district.

Paramjit Singh said smuggling of both types of liquor, English and country-made, was on in the region. “Mainly cheap brands, including Jubilee, Rajdhani, Bottoms Up, 999, High Speed, King Gold and Royal Arms, of English liquor are being smuggled from Chandigarh and neighbouring states. From Himachal Pradesh, liquor is being smuggled to parts of Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and Pathankot whereas bootleggers from Haryana were active in Sangrur, Muktsar, Batala and Patiala areas. Illegal liquor from Chandigarh goes to all parts of Punjab,” said excise officials.

As holograms are mostly found missing on the bottles, the state governments have been witnessing heavy revenue losses due to the illegal activity.

“The officials concerned in all three states and Chandigarh need to act with full coordination to check the menace,” said excise officials. Disparity in the prices of liquor in Punjab and other states is the main reason for smuggling, added the excise officials.