Guwahati: In a significant move underscoring the state’s commitment to curbing illicit liquor activities, Gouranga Choudhury, the Superintendent of Excise for Chirang district, and Dibyajyoti Sharma, an Excise Inspector, have been suspended with immediate effect. The duo faces charges of gross dereliction of duty following a high-profile raid that exposed a large-scale illegal liquor manufacturing unit operating under their very noses.
The suspension orders, signed off by the Governor of Assam, stem from a covert operation conducted on June 19. A joint task force, comprising excise officials from neighbouring Bongaigaon district and a special enforcement team dispatched from Guwahati, successfully dismantled a sophisticated illegal liquor manufacturing unit located in Shantipur, a sensitive area along the India-Bhutan border in Chirang. Crucially, the local excise authorities, including Choudhury and Sharma, were kept entirely out of the loop regarding this major operation, raising serious questions about their oversight and accountability.
The raid yielded a substantial haul, with raw materials and counterfeit liquor valued at approximately ₹50 lakh seized. The illicit products included spurious alcohol being brazenly marketed under several well-known branded labels, posing a grave public health risk and causing significant losses to the state exchequer. The Governor’s directive explicitly cited the suspended officials’ alleged failure to control illegal liquor activities within their jurisdiction, asserting that their inaction facilitated the establishment and continued operation of such dens, thereby compromising both law enforcement efforts and public safety. This incident has sent ripples of concern through administrative and public health circles, bringing into sharp focus the urgent need for heightened vigilance and improved inter-district coordination to effectively tackle Assam’s enduring illegal liquor trade.
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