Tribune News Service Jalandhar February 25 Chairing a district-level meeting to review crackdown on the illicit liquor trade in the district on Thursday Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori directed all the officials to further intensify the ongoing drive against this menace. He said concerted efforts needed to be made by joint teams of the civil and police administrations and the Excise Department at the tehsil and Sub-Divisional levels. He said the teams should work collectively to ensure that liquor smuggling bootlegging and illicit distillation of liquor if any in the district were checked efficiently. With 1531 FIRs registered last year the district had witnessed 64.99 per cent surge in police cases against bootleggers and smugglers in 2020. As many as 995 FIRs were registered by the police in the district in 2019 which meant an increase of 64.99 per cent with 1531 FIRs lodged in 2020. The Deputy Commissioner (DC) said under the “Operation Red Rose” as many as 1536 FIRs had been registered under the Excise Act besides nabbing 1563 accused. Moreover the authorities concerned in various departments also seized 103832 bottles of liquor and 2716 premises including godowns marriage palaces and rice shellers were also checked. The DC said during the review meeting the Excise and Police Departments were also directed to take stricter action against any sort of liquor smuggling and bootlegging in the district. Special checking should be further organised in the coming days to check the sale of illicit liquor in the district. He directed officers of the Excise Department to hold regular checking and take feedback from contractors.

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