Excise dept rejects panchayats’ resolution against liquor vends

Ravinder Saini
Tribune News Service
Rewari, March 19

The Excise and Taxation Department has turned down the resolution of 29 gram panchayats in Rewari, Mahendragarh and Jhajjar districts against the opening of new liquor vends in their villages.

Sources said the department had rejected the resolution after finding cases of sale or confiscation of illicit liquor in villages in the past three years.

A total of 64 gram panchayats in all three districts resisted the opening of liquor vends in their villages by passing a resolution in this respect. The panchayats had blamed liquor vends for vitiating the environment in their villages.

“As many as 39 gram panchayats in Rewari, 13 in Jhajjar and 12 in Mahendragarh had submitted resolutions to the department in September. Of them, the demand of 20 gram panchayats in Rewari, five in Jhajjar and four in Mahendragarh was turned down on the basis of the report on the sale or confiscation of illicit liquor in these villages,” the sources said.

They said though 129 panchayats, including 82 from Rewari, 32 from Mahendragarh and 15 from Jhajjar district, had approached the authorities by December with their resolutions, only those received before September 30 were considered at the time of taking the final call on the demand.

“After the cancellation of the resolutions, the Excise and Taxation Department allotted zones of retail liquor vends in Jhajjar and Mahendragarh district three days ago. The auction of these zones took place in Rewari on Tuesday,” the sources said.

Priyanka, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner (DETC), said, “There is only one ground to reject the resolution against the opening of liquor vends and that is any case of sale or confiscation of illicit liquor in the village in the past three years.”

Narendra Kaushik, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Jhajjar, said resolutions of the gram panchayat of Bambulia, Khapadwas, Babra, Neola, Utlodha, Patasani, Khatiwas and Baghur villages had been found valid, hence liquor vend would not be opened in these villages of Jhajjar district.

Illicit sale reported in three years

Sources say 39 gram panchayats in Rewari, 13 in Jhajjar and 12 in Mahendragarh had submitted resolutions to the department in September. Of these, the demand of 20 gram panchayats in Rewari, five in Jhajjar and four in Mahendragarh was turned down on the basis of the report on the sale or confiscation of illicit liquor in these villages.