MALAPPURAM: The Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI) Malappuram district committee has decided to find a legal recourse for the frequent raids of Excise department officials to confiscate arishtams with alcoholic content. They have accused that the recent raid and confiscation of around 80 bottles of various kinds of arishtams from a private ayurvedic clinic in Kondotty was violation of rules.
“The Excise officials have violated the guidelines set by the Excise Commissioner. A registered medical practitioner under the Indigenous System of Medicine could possess 100 liters of 17 kinds of listed arishtams at a time and clinic with a practicing doctor can dispense arishtams as per prescriptions,” said Dr. C.H Ansar Ali Gurukkal, district general secretary of AMAI. “The raid and confiscation in the Kondotty clinic was a grave violation of this rule and we will fight a legal battle against this discriminatory move from the part of Excise department,” he said.
A delegation of AMAI had brought this issue into the attention of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Excise commissioner Rishiraj Singh recently, he said. “Besides confiscating the stock of aristhams which was stored as per the law, the officials have also depicted us as culprits in the media to defame us. We will seek a legal action against this practice,” said Dr. Habeeb Palakkal whose clinic was raided in Kondotty on Saturday.
Meanwhile the Deputy Commissioner of Excise, Kozhikode Mr. P.K. Suresh has said that the raid was legal. “We have been conducting regular raids at all shops which work without a license as per Spirituous Preparations Control rules and we will continue with it. Most of the clinics have no clear idea of the legalities involved because this comes under the Abkari act,” he said.
