THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj June 30: Today (June 30) is the last day of the placement agency to run the government wine shops pan Jharkhand, Palamu inclusive of it.
From July 1, all placement agencies will walk out of the government liquor shops, handing over the assets to the excise department. The excise department will then assay the liabilities left behind by the placement agencies.
There are 79 licensed liquor shops in the whole of the Palamu district. 18 shops out of 79 are country-made liquor shops. The remaining 61 shops are composite liquor shops.
Only 1 Excise Cop in Entire Palamu District
Excise Superintendent of Palamu district Sanjit Kumar Deo told this correspondent, “Under orders of the state government from now onwards there will be no separate foreign-made liquor shop or India-made foreign liquor shop. It has been coalesced to the composite liquor shops.”
This arrangement is driven by man power crunch of the excise department.
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Sources said with just two excise sub-inspectors, one excise constable, that too of the police department on deputation here and with no excise inspector in Palamu excise office, it’s a real arduous task for the Palamu excise office to ensure a smooth transition from placement agency to government functionaries.
The sanctioned strength of the excise cops is 32 in Palamu district as against which there is just one here.
Transition Teams Deployed as Liquor Sales Put on Hold
Excise Superintendent Sanjit Kumar Deo is confident of the transition, saying there are bound to be some teething problems which will be sorted out coolly and calmly.
Sources said the sale of liquor is to be kept off temporarily till the transition is full and complete in the shop concerned. Buyers and consumers’ cooperation has been solicited.
Around 19 COs (Circle Officers) have been drafted for the task of the transition here in Palamu district, said sources.
Sources said the Excise Secretary Amitabh Kaushal and Excise Commissioner Ravi Shankar and their entire fleet of officers are on the job of ensuring a flawless handover of the liquor shops from the placement agencies to the excise officials pan Jharkhand.
Sources said no state excise official had literally any leave, even on the Rath Yatra day in Ranchi. The war room of the excise department is active and alert. The ongoing week is going to be a hectic week for the district and state administration, both.
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This correspondent spoke to the excise secretary Amitabh Kaushal on Monday, who said, “All the DCs have been duly briefed on the issue. The department has come out with a crystal clear SoP to be followed during the time of exchange of handling from the placement agencies to the government functionaries.”
Audits Underway Amid Allegations of Theft and Revenue Loss
All proceedings associated with the transfer of shops from the placement agency to the government functionaries are to be done in the presence of the Magistrate.
Again, such a transition has to be videographed. Sources in the excise department said, “The Excise Secretary Amitabh Kaushal is very serious about audits. The audit officials of the state finance department will be joining here in Palamu .”
Excise sources further said, “The Excise Secretary has given unequivocal instructions to the officials to match the shelve stock of the liquor, sale register and sale proceeds with each other to find out any gaping holes.”
Palamu Excise Superintendent Sanjit Kumar Deo on being asked about gaping holes between stock, sale and sale proceeds etc said, “There are episodes of theft of wine. It’s worth more than 2.30 crores. There are FIRs lodged in this connection with the various police stations in Palamu.”
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Sources said government liquor shops until June 30 in the hands of the placement agency in Japla in Palamu district gave a hugely worrisome time to the excise officials where unscrupulous placement agencies’ salesmen either vanished with the sale proceeds or caused revenue losses by way of showing theft or loss of bottles of wine etc.
Sources said the Excise Commissioner is to pass ‘reasoned order’ in cases where reconciliation of the sale proceeds is under scrutiny.
Administrative sources said five teams have been formed here in Palamu under orders of the DC Sameera S. Additional Collector Kundan Kumar has been made the Nodal Officer.
