New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) The Punjab government on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the excise department has been regularly carrying out massive enforcement drives against manufacture and use of illicit homemade liquor and additional long-term measures like filing up all vacant posts in the state excise force will be taken soon.

In a counter affidavit filed in the apex court, which had voiced concern over the burgeoning illicit liquor trade in Punjab, the Department of Excise and Taxation of the state has given details of the steps to be taken as immediate measures to eradicate this menace.

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It said the campaign against illicit distillation of liquor will be started by spreading awareness regarding ill-effects of homemade illicit liquor by using means, including popularising the department's already existing reward scheme so that more and more informers come to share the information regarding such manufacturing and sale.

"Awareness through local print and electronic media including cable TV will be started on war footing level. Wherever necessary, social media will also be used for the purpose," the affidavit said.

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In a separate affidavit filed in the top court, the Punjab government said an Inspector General rank police officer has been nominated at the state level to monitor investigation of cases registered under the Punjab Excise Act, 1914.

It said a circular has been issued to all the field units to ensure action against manufacture, smuggling and sale of illicit liquor, which shall invariably lead to registration of a criminal case under the relevant provisions of 1914 Act or the Indian Penal Code, as the case may be.

"It has been further directed that any default in this regard shall invariably entail departmental action against the delinquent officer/official. It shall be obligatory on the head of the field unit to fix responsibility for any lapse/negligence in registration and investigation of crime," the affidavit said.

The affidavit filed by the Department of Excise and Taxation said to wean away illicit homemade liquor consuming section of the society from its use, the state government has introduced in the current excise policy a cheap variant of country liquor having 40 degree strength.

"This liquor is going to be a healthy substitute for illegally brewed homemade liquor. The field officers of the department have been entrusted with the task of giving their requirement of 40 degree country liquor based on ground inputs so that the same can be made available in illicit liquor prone areas in near future," it said.

The matter came up for hearing on Thursday before a bench of justices M R Shah and C T Ravikumar.

Senior advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha, appearing for the state along with advocate Ajay Pal, referred to the steps taken by the authorities in the matter.

"Let us see how it progresses. We will monitor it," the bench observed and posted the matter for hearing after winter vacations.

The affidavit filed by the department said public participation in this crusade shall also be ensured by roping in village 'panchayats' and awareness in villages and towns will be created through 'nukar' meetings and announcements through village Gurudwaras so that this campaign against illicit liquor takes shape of mass movement.

"There will be complete coordination with police department at district level and the resources available with police department like trained man power, drones and boats for river side searches etc shall be pressed into service during cordon and search operations carried out in illicit liquor prone areas," it said.

It also gave details of the additional long-term measures which will be taken in near future in consonance with the directions of the apex court aiming at increase in the manpower and other resources to effectively deal with this menace.

"All the vacant posts in the Punjab state excise force shall be filled immediately to increase the availability of manpower to fight this menace of illicit distillation of liquor effectively. Similarly the department will ensure that all the posts of excise inspectors as per sanctioned strength are filled," it said.

The affidavit said as the department has already carried out some trials for use of sniffer dogs for excise enforcement purpose, it will strive hard to raise two sniffer dogs per zone (Patiala, Ferozepur and Jalandhar) in near future for better enforcement results in illicit prone areas.

"... It is submitted that the Excise Department has regularly been carrying out massive excise enforcement drives against manufacture and use of illicit homemade liquor/spurious liquor," it said.

While hearing the matter on December 5, the apex court had asked the state government to fix responsibility on the local police for failing to keep vigil and also to spell out specific steps taken to curb the production and sale of illegal liquor.

The top court was hearing a plea arising out of a September 2020 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court that had disposed of a petition seeking transfer of some FIRs registered in Punjab in relation to distillation of spurious liquor, its sale and inter-state smuggling to the CBI.

The high court had disposed of the plea following an assurance by the state's counsel that concerns raised by the petitioners will be duly dealt with and suitable action initiated.

The petitioners had claimed in the high court that illegal distilleries and bottling plants mushroomed in the state where the liquor mafia continues to thrive.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)