Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 27: The Excise Department, in order to show its performance achieved in past five months, has published a magazine under the cover ‘Endeavour 2020-21’.
The magazine carries out the details of the functioning of the department and the achievements recorded in last five months. It has been put on record that the department under the present Excise Commissioner R K Shavan faced challenges during COVID-19 but yet met a target of Rs 358 crore despite closure of shops over a long period and other restrictions put on the assembly of customers.
As per the magazine (news letter), the liquor shops, bars and restaurants remained closed till May 20 while 150 bars and restaurants are still closed but the department till date has earned Rs 357 crore as revenue. The Canteen Stores Department was also opened on May 20.
The department has also taken a massive campaign against drug abuse and cannabis destruction and destroyed poppy from 3620 kanals of land from Kashmir valley. Continuing the drive, the Excise Commissioner visited Gurez-Tulail of Bandipora district and Duddu-Basantgarh of Udhampur district for the first time in the history of department.
The intensive checking and verifications of shops resulted into removal of anomalies and evasion of duties, which have been recovered from the defaulting licensees. Further, an amount of Rs 40 lakh was imposed as fine on the defaulters in last five months.
“The department has also undertaken the job of maintenance of assets and protection of the landed property by giving direction to the Excise and Taxation Officers to get the land mapped and demarcated by the Revenue Agency, so no encroachment is allowed on the land of Finance Department,” the news letter read.
It further stated that the department contributed Rs 2 crore towards LG Relief Fund under CSR rules during peak COVID-19 days and also distributed 50,000 masks and one lakh sanitizers in slum areas, orphanages and old age homes.
Under the leadership of Dr AK Mehta, the Department of Excise has formulated a new Excise Policy which is likely to be issued in the next month, the news letter mentions.
Talking to media during release of the newsletter, R K Shavan said that the morale of liquor mafia is down due to continuous checking and verifications started by the department to plug pilferages and smuggling of liquor. He said 30555 litres of illicit lahan has been destroyed so far and many arrests made under the Excise Act.
Shavan said that the department has rewritten orders/instructions of Excise Department to plug all loopholes and improve the efficiency of the Department. A close watch is being kept to check the narcotic business, he added.
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