Screening bootleggers at Haryana border an ‘uphill’ task

Parvesh Sharma & Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Sangrur/Bathinda, September 5

Sharing a long border with Haryana, Punjab is finding it difficult to curb the inflow of liquor from the other side despite setting up nakas at the entry points and intensifying patrolling on major roads connecting the two states.

Vulnerable areas

In Bathinda, the areas prone to liquor smuggling are the Doomwali barrier, Singo border and Narang village near the Rama Mandi side. Smugglers selling liquor in border districts like Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar and Fazilka are being arrested daily. In many cases, employees of liquor contractors raid places without informing the police or excise officials, leading to clashes. The police have set up check posts, including one each in Doomwali village on the Dabwali-Bathinda road, Natheha village and Teona Pujaria village along the interstate border.

Bootleggers are pushing liquor into Punjab primarily from Sirsa and Dabwali. Deployed at a check post, a police official said, “Nobody will dare smuggle liquor through a route where a check post has been set up. Those involved in the trade are well aware of the internal link roads that lead to Bathinda.” He admits patrolling is a better option. Some cops on patrolling duty move in vehicles of state liquor contractors along with their men.

Another policeman says there are multiple routes to enter Punjab from Haryana and it is not easy to keep a tab on all. Police records show that there are 35 passages between Sangrur and Haryana districts along the border. Besides, peddlers use anything ranging from a motorcycle, scooter, car and tractor-trailer for their mission.

Source & people involved

Those resorting to liquor smuggling from Haryana to Punjab mostly purchase their consignment from regular liquor vends in Haryana. Requesting anonymity, some policemen in Sangrur said distilleries also played a big role in smuggling as they sold liquor to smugglers without putting their exact figures of production on record. A retired police official in Bathinda said, “Primarily, people who don’t get liquor contracts in Punjab are involved in the smuggling of illicit liquor from Haryana as they try to sabotage their rivals who have bagged the contract while making money.” However, sources said a new trend had emerged. Apart from smugglers, villagers too are ready to make quick money. Sangrur policemen said most of these work only to earn their per-bottle commission for smuggling.

Distribution network

“The contractors from Punjab engaged in smuggling already have their links and they just have to rope in people to deliver liquor to their contacts. They even engage small peddlers,” said a retired police official. As mostly country-made Haryana brand liquor is smuggled, smugglers have their network in villages, where they sell this liquor at higher prices, which are of course lesser than prices in Punjab. In many villages, they have fixed customers and mobile phones have made things easy for them. Many times, they leave the consignment in fields and customers pick it up as per their convenience.

Assistant Excise & Taxation Commissioner, Bathinda, Ramesh Malhotra, said, “We carry out regular checks at the interstate border. Our department is taking all possible measures to deal with the menace.”

Sirsa, Dabwali main sources

• Bootleggers pushing liquor mainly from Sirsa, Dabwali in Haryana
• Cops say as there are many routes to enter Punjab from Haryana, it is not easy to keep a tab on all
• A retired cop says primarily, people who don’t get liquor contracts in Punjab are involved in smuggling
• Since liquor is cheaper in Haryana, smugglers have made a network in Punjab villages close to the interstate border to earn easy money
• Mobile phones have made things easy for them. Sometimes, they drop the consignment in fields.