Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has ordered Excise authorities to erect temporary checkpoints at the Assam-Arunachal border to stop the illegal influx of alcohol from the neighbouring state.
Sarma, who presided over a review meeting of the Excise Department on Tuesday, also requested that top officials fill open positions in grades 3 and 4, so that the department can operate as effectively and as fully as possible.
He spoke with Excise Minister Parimal Suklabaidya along with senior officials about a number of other matters pertaining to the department.
Sarma asked the officers to perform their duties in a transparent and honest manner and guaranteed them of the government’s full support in resolving any legitimate workplace complaints they may have.
An Assam Assembly committee had recommended the formation of an armed battalion to combat “accelerating” illegal activities in August of last year after concluding that the state Excise Department had not taken “adequate steps” to stop the illegal liquor trade in the border areas.
The Departmentally Related Standing Committee on Development (A) Departments of the Assam Legislative Assembly also stated that numerous stipulated norms are broken and urged the authorities to strictly enforce them in its report for the Excise Department for 2021–22.
The committee notes that in the event of an influx of alcohol, not enough precautions have been taken by the relevant department in the border regions of Arunachal Pradesh.
As a result, the committee “highly recommends” that the Excise Department implement the appropriate measures to stop the flow of liquor from Arunachal Pradesh by setting up “check points” and stepping up enforcement efforts in the districts that border Arunachal Pradesh, according to the report.
The committee had noted that from Rs 1,639.61 crore in the last fiscal year to Rs 2,031.33 crore in 2020–21, revenue collection by the department grew by 23.89%.