Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Ahead of New Year celebrations, the State Excise Department conducted a special drive at dhabas and bars on Tuesday to maintain law and order and stop illegal liquor serving.
On the instructions from district collector Shivam Verma and assistant excise commissioner Abhishek Tiwari the excise teams raided several places including Bhukkad Dhaba, Gill Dhaba, New Sitting Zone, Shikarwadi, Laalten Dhaba, Jai Maa Bhawani Dhaba, Candleas Restaurant, Maharaja Dhaba Rau Bypass and Deepshri Dhaba were checked.
The drive was led by deputy controller Manoj Agrawal and ADEO Kamlesh Solanki with teams of Excise sub-inspectors Ashish Jain, Sunil Malviya, Meera Singh, Jaya Mujalde and other officers. A total of 17 bulk litres of malt and 21.6 bulk litres of spirit worth about Rs 32620 were seized. Cases were registered against dhaba operators and people consuming liquor under the relevant sections of the Excise Act 1915.
Officials also checked compliance with noise control rules and instructed all bar operators to be more alert on New Year’s Eve, stop music on time, close bars within the permitted schedule and strictly follow all government regulations. They were warned that any violation will lead to strict legal action. The officials said that the purpose of the drive is to prevent illegal liquor sales and control excessive noise during New Year celebrations. The inspection campaign will continue in the coming days.
Another team of the excise department inspected the bars and pubs and closed them after they were found operating beyond their prescribed time limit.
