The High Court may have banned the Panchayat elections for the time being, but keeping in mind the possibility of smuggling of liquor from neighboring states for the elections, the Excise Department has geared up. Instructions have been given to run enforcement campaigns across the state. As soon as the Panchayat elections were announced last Saturday, Excise Commissioner Anuradha Pal held a meeting of all the District Excise Officers through video conferencing. In which it was feared that smuggling may increase as soon as the elections are announced. The Commissioner had instructed to run an intensive campaign against illegal and raw liquor by deploying enforcement teams on the border. The Commissioner said that as per the instructions, teams have been deployed at check posts in all the districts. Special investigation of vehicles coming from outside is going on. Meanwhile, smuggled liquor is being caught at different places. Their information will be collected and the full quantity will be disclosed soon.
He said that the tourist season is also going on in the state, in view of which the enforcement campaign is already going on at the major check posts, especially in Dehradun, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar around Nainital. After the announcement of elections, the Excise Enforcement Teams have been instructed to conduct intensive checking along with the circle staff.
