Deepender Deswal
Tribune News Service
Hisar, May 25
Officials of the Excise and Taxation Department conducted surprise checks at three wholesalers in Fatehabad district during the lockdown and detected unauthorised removal of 20,000 cases of countrymade liquor and beer from their godowns.
It appears that the licensee has taken away and disposed of the stock in a clandestine manner without the knowledge or permission of the department.
Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner’s Office
Sources said the district administration formed a three-member committee for physical verification of the stock of three wholesalers —one L1 and two L13 licensees — in Fatehabad district. The Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner’s (DETC) office submitted its report to the Fatehabad Deputy Commissioner on May 10 about the physical verification done on April 21, April 23 and May 6. The report stated that the seal at the three premises was found tampered with during the visits.
The report stated that the committee found the stock missing at all three premises. At the L1 licensee’s godown, which had 969 cases of beer in stock on March 31, the committee found only 513, a shortfall of 456 cases. At one of the L13 godowns, the committee found only 2,797 cases of countrymade liquor on May 6 as against total stock of 12,300 cases on March 31. The second L13 premises was found short of 10,505 cases as out of 12,371, the committee could find only 1,866 cases during physical verification. Both L1 and L3 are wholesale licences. While LI is for Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and beer, L13 licences are for countrymade liquor.
The DETC office stated in its report to the Deputy Commissioner and the Excise and Taxation head office that they found unauthorised removal of the stock from these premises, stating it is a cognisable offence. “It appears that the licensee has taken away and disposed of the stock in a clandestine manner without the knowledge or permission of the department. The licensee has thus committed not only a criminal act but also act punishable under the Punjab Excise Act, 1914 as applicable to the State of Haryana shall not be less than 10 times of the amount of excise duty or consideration fee which would have been leviable if such intoxicant had been dealt with in accordance with this Act,” stated the report.
Fatehabad DETC VK Shastri confirmed the shortage of stock on the wholesalers’ premises during the physical verification. He said he had submitted the report to the higher authorities for further action.
