VIJAYAWADA: Crimes under every head have increased under the excise department except those of ID liquor manufacturing and sales during 2016. For the first time, the enforcement wing of the excise department has prepared the report according to the calendar year as against the financial year from April 2016 to December 31, 2016 for a period of nine months.
The excise department has cracked down 6,041 belt shops across the state and 6,041 cases were booked on 5,971 persons in the year 2016. During 2015 financial year, the excise officials have only filed 1,659 cases across the state.
The ganja cases were also seen on the rise as the enforcement authorities have seized 17, 645 kg of ganja in the last nine months, which is 36 per cent more than the amount of ganja seized during 2015 for 12 months period. The number of cases has increased by 62 per cent from 144 cases for 12 months during 2015-16 to 175 cases during the nine months of 2016.
East Godavari district is seen on top of the cases in almost all heads. The district tops in black jaggery cases, arrack, ganja transport and belt shops. Nellore district fares well among all the districts in the state.
The Navodayam scheme initiated by the government to end the menace of arrack brewing seems to be giving good results. In 2015, the enforcement officials had destroyed nearly seven lakh litres of arrack. This figure has come down to nearly one lakh litres during 2016 across the state.
According to the director of excise enforcement, K. Venkateswar Rao, the Navodaya scheme is showing results on the ground. He said out of 13 districts in the state, eight districts were declared as arrack free. In East Godavari, Chittoor, Krishna, Kurnool and Vizianagaram districts arrack brewing still poses a problem.
Mr Rao also noted that the excise department is putting in extra efforts to contain ganja in the state. He said satellite mapping of the ganja farming areas is being made and the department estimates that in around 10,000 acres the weed is being grown in the state.
