KCR wants fool-proof Excise policy by October

Calls for crackdown on Gudumba

• The Chief Minister bristles at the officials for failing to prevent the flow of illicit liquor and loss of precious lives
• He directs officials to suppress the bootleggers ruthlessly
• Wants planting of Palm saplings

Hyderabad: Startled by series of deaths caused by consumption of spurious and cheap liquor in the State, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Friday directed the Excise officials to put in place a new Excise policy by October. The policy, he told the officials, should be prepared in such a way as to give no scope for irregularities.

At a high-level review meeting with the Excise officials at the Secretariat here, KCR accused the previous governments of deliberately ignoring the toddy sector and failing to grow palm trees. Instead, the powers that be in the past had ‘patronised’ cheap and spurious liquor, he said.

The Chief Minister stressed the need for a new Excise policy to ensure that there was no room for manipulation. He directed the officials to check the flow of illicit liquor and also non-duty paid liquor coming from outside the State.

He bristled at the officials for failing to arrest the flow of illicit liquor that claimed precious lives in Mahbubnagar, Medak and Nizamabad districts. He said the tragedy struck the families of these innocent men had brought bad name to the government, he said.

KCR said the government would attach two District Forest Officers (DFOs) to the Excise Department. The DFOs could coordinate with the police teams to root out illicit brewing of liquor, he said. He emphasised the need for promotion of consumption of pure toddy.

He suggested that 5 crore palm saplings be planted on the banks of lakes. He regretted that the people were falling prey to illicit liquor though the government was spending Rs 28,000 crore on welfare schemes.