Spirited action by Excise department

KOCHI: Though there are strict measures against illicit liquor and arrack in the state, the excise cases in the district have increased by 30 per cent compared to last year.The Excise Department officials attribute this to the effective enforcement activities taken up by them.According to the data available with the department, as many as 891 cases were registered in 2011 whereas only 698 cases were registered in 2010.“The rise in the number of cases does not imply the apathy of the department, but the effective enforcement activities adopted by it.Many have come forward to cooperate with the department and to inform us about illegal manufacture and sale of liquor.The awareness programmes conducted by the department in schools are successful,” Deputy Commissioner K Mohanan said.Out of the 891 cases, 60 per cent were related to the seizure of Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) while 28 per cent were for selling ganja and brown sugar.The rest were related to seizure of spirit, illicit liquor, arrack and toddy.“The effective ban on illicit liquor has affected the flow of spirit from other states.Though the Department cannot claim that the spirit flow has been completely stopped, we could successfully put a tab on the supply of spirit here.However, IMFL is now sold illegally across the state, especially in rural areas where the outlets of beverages corporation are absent.Many sell liquor for high prices in houses without licence,” an excise official said.The Excise Department is now imparting classes to people in rural areas against the use of illicit liquor.“These classes helped us form close ties with people so as to source information about illegal activities in rural areas.We are conducting around 21 awareness classes in schools every month, aiming at discouraging the next generation from using alcohol and narcotic products,” K Mohanan said.