Farmers Movement Archive

Illicit liquor trade flourishes with impunity in Amritsar

Tribune News ServiceAmritsar, August 3The illicit liquor trade continues to flourish in the holy city despite tall claims of the police department that they have made huge recoveries in the past if the data of seizures of illicit liquor is anything to go by. The illicit trade is flourishing allegedly with the support from politicians and police personnel.The Punjab Government, after the relaxation of the curfew and lockdown restrictions imposed in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, had ordered a crackdown on bootleggers and illicit liquor trade as it was facing losses due to poor sale of liquor. 723 cases registered since May 17 this yrDuring the curfew, a number of people in the rural belt had taken to illicit liquor trade, causing huge losses to the state exchequer. Within 15 days of the crackdown, the Amritsar rural police stood among the top districts in seizure of liquors, number of cases registered and arrest of bootleggers. It was followed by Tarn Taran and Batala police districts.However, the hooch tragedy that claimed over 100 deaths in the three districts of Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Batala highlighted the glaring flaws in the system. This hinted that illicit liquor mafia continues to operate with impunity. The deaths also brought to forth the collusion of lower-rung police officials with bootleggers. The involvement of women in the illicit trade is also found.As per recent data, the rural police had registered as many as 723 cases under the Excise Act and arrested 257 bootleggers since May 17 this year. They had confiscated over 7,500 litres of illicit liquor, 3,900 English wine, 45,850 kg of lahan and 955 of extra neutral alcohol (ENA). The rural police also busted 31 illegal stills during the period.The situation is no different in city areas. There are many notorious localities in the city where liquor is being sold in pouches, said Jagtar Singh Karampura of the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India. “Gumtala, Navi Abadi, Abadi Karampura, Faizpura, Maqboolpura, Anngarh are several such areas,” he added.Rattan Singh Randhawa, a prominent farmer leader, said, “The illicit liquor trade is flourishing in rural as well as in urban areas with the connivance of police personnel, bureaucracts and politicians. “It is an open secret that illicit liquor is supplied to voters on the directions of politicians during the election days. Politicians allow notorious bootleggers to brew illicit liquor in order to lure voters,” he said.

The Tribune

2020-08-04