Hamirpur: Licences of 13 liquor vends suspended

Hamirpur, February 11

The Excise and Taxation Department has suspended the licences of 13 liquor vends in the district, said US Rana, Joint Commissioner, Central Zone of the department, here today.

He said the action against the liquor vends was taken after the licencees were booked in an alleged trade of spurious liquor that claimed seven lives in Mandi.

Rana said Neeraj and Harish were in judicial custody and the licences of their vends were suspended. He added they had been directed to explain their position by Monday next and if the excise authorities were not satisfied with their replies, their licences would be terminated. He said the liquor vends were leased to them for Rs 4.13 crore.

He said the department had inspected 114 liquor vends in the past 20 days and collected a fine of Rs 65,000. He added a wine bottling unit at Galu in Mandi district was sealed for gross violations. The department had also suspended the officer responsible for monitoring the bottling plant.—