Excise department will eliminate all illicit liquor centres in two months – Renukacharya

Excise department will eliminate all illicit liquor centres in two months – Renukacharya

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Sep 1, 2012: State Excise Minister Renukacharya declared at a press meet held in Mangalore that the number of illicit liquor centres in Karnataka has come down from 2000 to 93 after he took over. His aim is to eliminate all the remaining illicit liquor centres from the state within the next two months, he added. 

Further, he said that the Mangalore Division, which includes Kodagu, DK, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, and Shimoga, has achieved 98.36 percent of the target for this year. Stating that Mangalore Division records a growth of 7.79 percent, he said that this makes Mangalore the number one seller of liquor in the state. Although the target was Rs. 90,200 crore, Rs. 90,827.89 crore was collected, earning an additional profit of Rs. 627.89 crore. 

Speaking about liquor-related cases registered, he said that 46 cases of retail liquor sale, 134 cases of selling liquor in proscribed places, and 38 cases of selling liquor at rates higher than the MRP, and 134 cases of violation of excise rules have been registered. Seventy major cases have been registered and 214 people have been arrested with regard to those cases. Besides, the excise department has seized 8 vehicles and 9,337 litres of Goan liquor. 

 

 

He also said that excise officials have been patrolling Mangalore Division regularly to control sale of illicit liquor. Mangalore Division has also yielded Rs. 35.59 crore in taxes this year. Of the 811 sanctioned posts in the Mangalore Division Excise Office, 424 are filled are 387 are vacant, he said. 

Further, he said that the excise department, in 2012 – 13, conducted 20,854 raids statewide, registered 3,587 cases, arrested 2,236 people, and seized 113 vehicles. The department also seized 77,901.02 litres of liquor, 32,095.4 litres of beer, fenny, 22,024 litres of spirit, and 135.05 litres of arrack along with 3,394.8 litres of illicit liquor and 54,699.27 litres of jaggery wash. 

Renukacharya claimed that he did not lobby for any post when the portfolios were being re-distributed, adding that he was willing to accept any ministry.