Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala also holding the charge of excise department in the state said that a track and trace system will be introduced in Excise Policy 2023 for liquor manufacturing and supply in the state to monitor all types of activities related to liquor sales, production, and the movement enabling to stop liquor smuggling as well as revenue loss to the government. While holding a meeting in which Chief Secretary excise and taxation department Devinder Kalyan, Commissioner Ashok Kumar Meena and excise collector Aashutosh Rajan were also present.
Deputy Chief Minister, while presiding over the review meeting of the department as regard the implementation of the Track and Trace System for liquor supply in the state said that in the Haryana Excise Policy 2023-24, a provision will be made to implement this QR-based track and trace system presently available in Jhajjar, Sonipat and Ambala distilleries, which would clarify that the liquor in a bottle when and by which distillery prepared, when and where supplied. Chautala said that a decision has been taken to install flowmeters in every distillery to stop liquor thefts.
Expressing deep concern over the recent incident of deaths due to poisonous liquor in the state, Chautala appreciated the role of excise department officers conducted surprise raids at the godownd of all liquor contractors in the state in which 5.58 lakh cases were found short in their stocks for which government will take stern action against the concerned officers for the negligence as well as contractors. He directed all those present in the meeting to get installed flowmeters in every distillery enabling them to find out how much liquor was prepared and supplied.
Chautala said that the excise department has been directed to prepare a list of district-wise defaulter contractors, since there is no record of such defaulters in past three years in-spite of several cases of manufacturing and supply of spurious liquor has been reported from time to time. He said that action will be taken against defaulter contractors imposing penalty and also to black list them so that they may not be able to apply for a contract in future. Chautala said that a decision has been taken to start a Track and Trace system in 14 distilleries in the state with effect from the third quarter from 12th December, 2023. He said that the QR-based Track and Trace System has been developed by the National Informatics Centre, Haryana. This Track and Trace System will help to regulate and monitor the movement of liquor, capture the production and supply of liquor products on a real-time basis, and will also ensure the protection of Government revenue.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that the QR code-based Track and Trace System will be implemented in all the Distilleries in the State from the start of the 3rd Quarter of the Haryana Excise Policy period i.e. from December 12, 2023, on a pilot basis.