Cops, excise, GST depts to jointly check flow of illicit liquor in Karnal

Karnal, April 5

To check the flow of illicit liquor during the Lok Sabha and Assembly byelections, the Karnal police, excise and GST departments will jointly work and keep vigil on it. It was directed by Ashok Kumar Meena, Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Haryana,

He was chairing a meeting of officials of the different departments involved in the electoral process at the Mini-Secretariat on Friday and directed them to work closely and keep a strict vigilance on activities related to the flow of illicit liquor from Punjab and Chandigarh.

The commissioner said the elections would be held on May 25 and the model code of conduct would be effective till June 6.

“The Election Commission is vigilant regarding the movement of illicit liquor during the electoral process, therefore all officers should discharge their duties with utmost vigilance. They should conduct joint patrolling to keep a close watch on suspicious activities. If illicit liquor is found anywhere, strict action should be taken against those violating norms,” said the commissioner.

He said vehicles carrying liquor should be thoroughly checked and if any irregularity is found, the vehicle should be impounded immediately and the report uploaded on the portal.

He said the police teams and Excise Department should maintain constant contact and share information through WhatsApp groups. Departmental teams should maintain constant surveillance on the borders and link roads and work in coordination with one another.

Uttam Singh, Deputy Commissioner, said they had completed all arrangements and the officials had been trained. AROs and officials concerned had been directed to keep vigil on nakas set up on the Haryana-UP border. He directed them to remain in touch with the sarpanches, panches, village secretaries and namberdars to keep vigil on suspicious activities.

The DC also appealed to the people to share information with the police about the supply of illegal liquor to lure voters. The police with the Excise Department and the GST Department would take action accordingly.