Tripura: Excise dept conducts raids to curb illicit liquor sale ahead of assembly polls

Following the assembly elections in Tripura, Excise Department has seized illegal items worth Rs 17 lakh of illegal items intensifying enforcement activities, the official said.

The raids are conducted as per the direction of the Election commission of India.

"Following denouncement of upcoming election 2023 as per the direction of Election Commission of India, we have started different enforcement activities into different shops and stalls to identify and sales of illegal storage and selling and on finding of such stocks we apprehend the concerned person and proceed for lawful procedures," the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, North East Region (NER), Kavita Jha told ANI.

She further said that 29 cases have been registered so far and sent for the legal procedure. The Assembly elections are scheduled to be held on February 16.

The administration has established 72 Naka checking points throughout the states to check and seize illicit liquor transportation and misuse of the same keeping the election environment ahead in the mind.

"The force has been deployed engaging different officers from the sale tax and income tax department as we are having not adequate stop to continue these enforcement activities ahead of the upcoming assembly election 2023. Besides that, transportation of foreign liquor items has been made more restricted imposing different systems with the help of locking and unlocking at specific points," she added.

After the date of announcement of the poll ie on January 18, the State Excise Organization seized a total of 6446.175 litres of illicit liquor till Monday, the value of which stands to total Rs 13,98,600. A total of 29 cases have been registered so far and 10 people were arrested.

( With inputs from ANI )