13% rise in seizure of liquor smuggled from Haryana border into Bathinda

TRADERS HAVE APPEALED TO THE AUTHORITIES TO TAKE STRICT STEPS TO CHECK THE MENACE, BUT TO NO AVAIL

BATHINDA : Steep difference in retail prices of country-made liquor in Haryana and Punjab has meant that there has been a spurt in the volume of liquor that is being smuggled across the border from Haryana, mostly from Sirsa district, into Bathinda, figures provided by the excise and taxation department from April 1 to November 30 show.

In 2018, 8,000 boxes of liquor have been seized at the Bathinda border, against 7,100 boxes in the corresponding period in 2017. This is an increase of about 13%, with the majority of the smuggling taking place in countrymade liquor.

A box (each has 12 bottles) of country-made liquor is available in Haryana at ₹800 per box in retail; in Bathinda, the same box costs ₹1,800.

“The difference in liquor price in Punjab and Haryana is resulting into a spurt in smuggling. Excise officials, along with Punjab Police, have been putting up check-posts to curb the smuggling,” said excise and taxation officer, Kulwinder Verma.

Smugglers sold the Haryana liquor through their supply chain at prices lower than the prevailing rates in Bathinda.

NUMBER OF CASES DIP

Even as Bathinda SSP Nanak Singh said the police were enforcing the law and making arrests and recoveries, resulting in the higher figure, the number of cases registered has seen a dip. From April 1 to November 30, 799 cases have been registered this year against 1,043 in the corresponding period last year.

This is a dip of over 20%. Police are taking this as an indication that liquor is being smuggled in bigger consignments. The number of arrests for the calendar year could also see a dip, 2017 saw 1,276 arrests, while till December 10 this year, 979 arrests have been made.

LOCAL LIQUOR TRADERS’ BIZ HIT

The business of local liquor traders has been badly hit. Harish Kumar, who has been allotted zones in Bathinda, said, “Some liquor traders in Punjab have stakes in the trade in Haryana as well and are resorting to smuggling. Smugglers enjoy political patronage.”

He added, “The law is weak and the same smugglers have been arrested multiple times, only to be bailed out.”

“Another reason for the spurt this year is that smugglers are getting liquor directly from distilleries in Haryana. Traders as well as the Punjab government is losing out on business and revenue.”

He added that traders have appealed to the police and the administration to take strict steps to check the menace, but to no avail.