Shimla: The State Taxes and Excise Department in Himachal Pradesh has intensified its campaign against illegal liquor in the state. Recently, the department seized 1135 liters of illegal liquor worth Rs. 5.19 lakh in Shimla and Baddi.
According to Yunus, the Commissioner of State Taxes & Excise Himachal Pradesh, the department’s team led by Assistant Commissioner, Excise, Prem Kaith, conducted raids in 15 different locations in Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagah (BBN) area. As a result, six cases were detected under section 39 of the HP Excise Act, and 29 cases of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and one case of beer were seized.
In a separate operation, the department’s Assistant Commissioner, Adarsh Sharma, along with the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) Shimla, conducted a search at a bar and a dhaba at Chirgaon in Shimla Revenue district. The bar had an excess stock of about 50 cases of IMFL and 30 cases of Country Liquor (CL). The case is being further investigated under section 43 of HP Excise Act 2011. While conducting a search at a roadside Dhaba at Chirgaon, 3.5 cases of IMFL and one case of CL were seized, and a penalty of Rs. 25,000 was imposed as per Section 67 of the H.P. Excise Act.
The department will continue to carry out such campaigns in the future to prevent illegal liquor. The departmental officers have been directed to keep a strict vigil against any movement of illegal liquor and take necessary action accordingly. Sh. Yunus has also urged the public to cooperate with the department and report any such illegal activities.
