East Godavari to be made arrack-free

Collector H Arun Kumar directs officials to crack whip on spurious liquor traders. Says the officials concerned should take necessary steps to create awareness among people about the consequences of consuming spurious liquor.

Kakinada: East Godavari Collector H Arun Kumar directed the revenue and excise officials to take steps to make the district arrack-free. Participating in the Navodayam programme on Tuesday, he said as many as one third of the total 1,019 villages in the district, which are known for brewing country liquor, have been identified.

Special steps will be taken to prevent such activities and stringent action will be taken against those who flout the norms, he added.

The Collector elucidated on the plans to make East Godavari district arrack-free from April. He further asserted that stringent action would be initiated against those manufacturing spurious liquor. He called for concerted effort to crack the whip on illegal liquor outlets.

He said the sale of cheap liquor is high in the areas where labourers and the poor reside. The officials should keep a watch on those areas and should not hesitate in taking on the persons involved in the trade, he added. Earlier, the Collector flagged off two Navodayam propaganda vehicles on JNTU- K premises.

He also released a poster and pamphlet on the ill-effects of cheap liquor. Joint commissioner, Excise, A Chandrasekhar was also present.