Shamsher Dullo slams own govt over ‘thriving’ illicit liquor mafia

Tribune News Service

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Amritsar, August 11

Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP Shamsher Singh Dullo today blamed his party’s government led by Capt Amarinder Singh for its failure to curb the illicit liquor mafia in the state.

Meeting family members of victims at Muchhal village, Dullo alleged that the real culprits were still enjoying immunity under the patronage of party big-wigs of the area.

Dullo, a former excise and taxation minister, said there were 16 legal distilleries operating in the state.

“Now, nine illegal distilleries have surfaced. Of these, five are in the Chief Minister’s home constituency. These supplied illegal liquor to Haryana, J&K, Rajasthan and Punjab. These carried on operations with the connivance of politicians and the police,” he said.

He said many arrests had been made after the illicit liquor tragedy, but most of the arrested persons were just the couriers.

“The persons who manufactured illicit liquor and supplied it are still out of reach and being sheltered by local politicians in connivance with the police,” Dullo said.

“In three years, the government suffered a revenue loss of Rs 2,700 crore in auction of liquor vends. The residents of the affected areas said cheap illicit liquor trade prospered under the nose of the police. This was also highlighted umpteen times,” he said.