Jamshedpur: The sale of spurious liquor is rampant in and around the steel city, leading the state excise department to decide for conducting an extensive operation against the manufacturers and traders of spurious liquor soon.
Manufacturing of spurious liquor and rebottling is being done at places like Potka and Ghatshila, and the stock of spurious liquor bottles is supplied to a section of liquor shop owners at the steel city and to a section of bar owners where the spurious liquor is being sold.
Assistant commissioner, excise department, East Singhbhum Arvind Kujur confirmed about the racket of manufacturing of spurious liquor and bottling the stuff in the name of reputed brands.
Illegal liquor dens will also be demolished jointly by state excise department and local police stations.
The Excise Department of the East Singhbhum district has also formed Quick Response Team (QRT) of respective police stations to nail down illegal liquor joints flourishing in different parts of the city. As part of the initiative joint surprise raids would be carried out at liquor selling points in the evening while production points will see raids in the morning.
The Excise commissioner pointed out in the event of a surprise inspection of the stock, the liquor shop-owners will not take the risk of getting nabbed selling duplicate liquor, because the inspection teams have been instructed to check the batch number of the liquor bottles being sold at the counter.
He stated that the surprise inspection will continue even during the night and if any shop-owner is found selling the duplicate liquor, then he will stand to face the music.
“We will not only cancel his license, but also prosecute the shop-owner.” the Excise commissioner emphasised.
At Jamshedpur there are 98 Indian Make Foreign Liquor (IMFL) licensed shops, 51 country-made liqour shop and 15 spicy liquor shops.
Notably, the steel city has a history of manufacturing of duplicate liquor as the district police had in the past busted several racket of duplicate liquor manufacturing units, especially from the localities like Bagbera, Jugsalai and Kadma.
Police officials said NH 33 would also be under the watch of the patrolling teams of the department. Strict action would be taken by joint teams of the police and Excise in cases of offence such as manufacture, sale of illegal liquor, consumption of alcohol in public places, and unlicensed wine making.