Excise Police Curb Illegal Liquor in 25 Districts, Book 3,578 Offenders

Hyderabad:The state excise police on Sunday claimed that they had succeeded in controlling the illegal manufacture of `natusara’, (non-duty paid liquor, NDPL) in 25 of the state’s 33 districts.

The state and district task force teams along with law and order police played a major role in controlling the natusara menace, V.B. Kamalasan Reddy, director of excise and enforcement, told Deccan Chronicle. “We have identified 60 excise cops from STF and DTF for their meritorious efforts and will be giving them a cash reward,” he said.

In the first two months of the year, excise police booked 2,753 cases against 3,578 persons in 25 districts and 13,122 litres of Natusara along with 39,887 kg of jaggery and 4,720 kg black jaggery, he said. Penalties worth Rs.29.5 lakh were imposed on the offenders, Kamalasan Reddy said.

Warangal topped the list with 1,142 cases, followed by Adilabad (396), Karimnagar (257), Mahbubnagar (223), and 282 cases in Nalgonda, after each joint district was transformed into a division in the excise department, he said.

The sale of natusara was affecting the state’s revenue from alcohol sales, Kamalasan Reddy said pointed out. Controlling the illicit liquor trade would help the state revenues from the sale of liquor.