Drive Against Illicit Liquor Unveiled With Rehab, Tech Upgrades

Tabling the document in the Assembly, K. Vignesh, Minister for Prohibition and Excise, said the government has planned to double the financial grant allocated for the economic rehabilitation of reformed offenders. Individuals previously convicted for brewing or smuggling illicit liquor and who have completed their sentences and renounced criminal activities will now receive an increased individual assistance grant of Rs 1,00,000, up from Rs 50,000. A total corpus of Rs 10.00 crore has been dedicated to this scheme to fund sustainable self-employment ventures and uplift their socio-economic standing.
To bolster ground enforcement in hard-to-reach terrains, the state has earmarked Rs 2.58 crore to equip the Prohibition Enforcement Wing with advanced operational equipment. This package includes 10 four-wheel drive all-terrain vehicles and 10 high-resolution surveillance drones aimed at monitoring high-risk forested and hilly regions across 10 vulnerable districts and cities.
Governance and transparency will also receive a technological boost with Rs 1.69 crore allocated to expand the ‘e-Kalaal’ digital platform. The initiative aims to integrate comprehensive modules for licence amendments, surrenders, and cancellations, alongside streamlining foreign liquor import and beer export permits.
Public outreach forms another pillar of the reform package. The department has doubled its statewide awareness campaign fund from Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore, while dedicating an additional Rs 2.00 crore specifically for digital social media drives targeting youth. Finally, to eliminate industrial chemical misuse, the state will implement a robust, dedicated Methanol Control Policy to strictly prevent diversion into clandestine brewing networks.