Saturday, 17 September 2022 | PNS | HARIDWAR
The Haridwar district authorities have stepped up action after the hooch tragedy which resulted in the death of at least 10 persons in two villages of Pathri area in the district. With newly posted officials taking charge replacing the Excise department officials suspended following the incident, the departmental teams have stepped up their activity in both the rural and urban areas against illicit liquor.
On Friday, during raids conducted by the Excise department, 1,500 kilogrammes of ‘lahan’ was destroyed in rural areas of Laksar while 40 litres of raw liquor was recovered. Further, three crates of Haryana mark liquor were recovered from Roorkee area. District excise officer Prabha Shankar Mishra said that raids will continue to seize raw liquor, ‘Lahan’ and illicit liquor in the district. Additional forces have been deployed in the district in view of the Panchayat elections. If manpower shortage is felt after the elections, the department will submit its demand for personnel to the government accordingly, he said.
Earlier on Thursday night, the Excise team raided Har Ki Paidi area and recovered a considerable quantity of illicit liquor and arrested a woman accused of selling the liquor. The team raided a home in the area on Thursday night where a woman was found selling IMFL and country liquor. Six crates of liquor were seized from the site. Mishra said that along with the arrest of those making and selling raw liquor in Pathri and Laksar areas, action is being taken by campaigning in city areas as well. He said that Santoshi Devi has been caught selling liquor from a house in Har Ki Paidi area.
