SATISH HANDA
After exposure of large number of scams related to sale and smuggling o liquor to other states including Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh U.P, Delhi and other states in the country in past five years in which Haryana state government suffered revenue loss worth thousands crore revenue in past few years, the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a senior IAS officer T.C. Gupta raised a question over the working of several police as well as excise department officers. According to the report, police along with excise department officers seized huge quantity of liquor being illegally smuggled to other states but appropriate action against the smugglers was not taken except lodging an FIR against the driver of vehicle and in most of the cases seized liquor stocks were illegally sold in the market or smuggled to other states by police and excise department employees during lockdown period in 2020 when manufacturing and sale of liquor was completely banned in the state. The report revealed that liquor mafias sold and smuggled spurious quality liquor packed in branded liquor bottles and earned huge amount..
State government came into action when as many as 47 persons consumed Desi wine died at Panipa, Sonepat and Faridabad districts and it was observed that illegal liquor is being manufactured at several places all over in the state when Home Minister Anil Vij handed over the case to ADGP (Narcotic Department) Srikant Jaghav to investigate and submit a report. 270 page report supported by nearly 2000 documents presently lying with Rajiv Arora Additional Chief Secretary Home Department to submit to Chief Minister as well as Home Minister, which according to information has exposed the names of large number of officers as well employees of police and excise department accusing them involved in three categories; criminal activities, corruption and service rule violation as a result not only 47 persons consumed poisonous liquor lost lives but also Haryana state government suffered heavy revenue loss worth Rs hundreds crore and the report demand action against all those involved in neglect in duty, accepted huge amount towards bribe, saved liquor smugglers and took no action against supply of illegal liquor from distilleries thus violating services rules.
Information reveals, its first time in the history of Haryana since after 1966 the state government earned too less revenue worth Rs 244 crore on supply of 2.22 crore cases wine by the distilleries in the state during year2019-20, whereas during current year 2020-21 state distilleries has already supplied 56.05 lakh wine cases enabling state government to earn record revenue worth Rs 640 crore in a period of only eight months and expecting to earn revenue worth Rs 2000 crore during current financial year as such SIT report detected huge revenue loss to the state government accusing police and excise department officers for the same stating that it was only due to SIT report submitted by senior IAS officer T. C. Gupta few month ago when corrupt practices as well as smuggling liquor to other states came to halt.
State government information reveals that during year 2019-20 the revenue earned by Haryana state government towards sale of liquor was nearly Rs 6500 core, whereas the state has already earned revenue worth Rs 8000 core in eight months during current year 2020-21. According to record available with the state government, in case of ‘Desi’ liquor amount worth over Rs 10.81 lakh was recovered towards production tax during year 2019-20, whereas during the year 2020-21 state government has already recovered Rs 58.91 crore in eight months. Similarly, in case of English wine Haryana state government recovered amount worth Rs 24.44 lakh towards production tax during the year 2019-20, whereas during current year 2020-21 the state government has already recovered production tax worth Rs 50.31 crore in a period of only eight months. According to SIT report, supply of liquor from distilleries was made two to three times on a single permit issued by Excise Department causing huge revenue loss to tyhe government.
