Chandigarh, June 12  (Mohit Sharma ) : Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday directed the Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Financial Commissioner (Taxation), Vikas Pratap, and Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Varun Roojam to take up the issue of creation of a robust framework for monitoring and regulating the interstate movement of methanol with the concerned departments of the Union Government to avert hooch tragedies due to misuse of this chemical.

While reviewing the enforcement activities of the Excise department for the months of April and May, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema asked the department to formulate a strong enforcement mechanism in consultation with the Union Government to monitor the sale and movement of methanol, especially regulating the online sale of this chemical. “This initiative is pivotal in preventing the diversion of methanol for the production of illicit alcohol, which can lead to hooch tragedies”, he added.

Earlier, during April and May 2024, Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Financial Commissioner (Taxation), Vikas Pratap briefed the minister on the enforcement activities of the department. He reported that during this period, the Excise department executed a well-planned operation, resulting in the registration of about 869 FIRs and making 721 arrests. Additionally, they detected 14011 litres of illicit liquor and 3450 litres of ENA, recovered and destroyed 1679907 litres of lahan, and seized 96476 bottles of PML/IMFL/Beer.  He said that the Teams of officers have been carrying out intensive operations against the smuggling of liquor, smuggling of ENA and other excise-related crimes.

Minister Cheema commended the department’s efforts and urged officials at the zonal and district levels to further intensify their activities. He said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government has been ensuring that no stone should be left unturned in ruling out possibility of any illegal Liquor trade in the state.