Excise Department turns on heat in poll-bound Telangana, Rs 1.14 -Cr worth liquor caught

HYDERABAD: The enforcement wing under the excise department initiated several steps to curb the influence of liquor in the poll-bound State of Telangana.

Following the directions of the Election Commission of India, the department has so far bound over 29,663 persons, kept 8,362 history sheeters under watch, and slapped PD act on 14 persons.

The department has set up 21 interstate checkposts (TS-AP 8, TS- TS-Maharashtra 8, TS-Karnataka-4, TS-Chhattisgarh 1) and started organising meetings with border states to curb the movement of illicit liquor and storage of locally made liquor. The department said that it would not hesitate to issue non-bailable warrants as a deterrent to the liquor mafia.

To keep an eye on the activity at the round-the-clock checkposts at interstate borders, the CC TV cameras of checkposts were connected with the State Command Control Centre at Hyderabad. In all, 89 integrated checkposts were also established that work in tandem with other enforcement departments.

Following the review of the election preparations in Telangana by the ECI on October 5, the department seized Rs 1.14 crore worth 14,227 liters of ID liquor, 1,710 kilograms of jaggery, 98.4 liters of liquor, 170 kgs of Ganja and 21 vehicles. On October 6, excise officers caught a vehicle carrying 157.39 kgs of Ganja and two persons. On the same day excise department seized 90.20 kg of dry Ganja, a two-wheeler, and a fake police number plate from six people