Karnataka   

Arrack ban poses a challenge to officials Law & order

 The ban on manufacture and sale of arrack, which has come into force from July 1, has posed a big challenge to the police and Excise Department officials in Bangalore Rural district in checking illicit manufacture of arrack and liquor, which is an organised business there.

Besides leading to revenue loss to the Government, the illicit arrack trade has often resulted in law and order problems.

In the past two years, around 35 people have died after consuming spurious arrack in Bangalore Rural district. The most serious of these cases was reported from Nelamangala taluk where 21 people died in two days after having the deadly brew two years ago.

The ban on sale of arrack has thus led to apprehensions that the sale and consumption of spurious arrack will increase and thus result in loss of life.

All these make it imperative to strengthen the Police and Excise departments in Bangalore Rural district.

Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa announced in the budget that Rs. 50 crore would be earmarked to provide vehicles, communication gadgets and to recruit additional staff to the Police and Excise departments to check illicit arrack trade.

However, official sources told The Hindu that so far they have not received additional vehicles or manpower as assured, and they were managing with the available resources.

Medi Mallasandra, Matta Mallasandra, Sankalipura, Kattegehalli and Bylanarsapura in Hoskote taluk and Adigarakallahalli in Anekal taluk are known for their illicit arrack business. Illicit distillation in these villages is said be causing the Excise Department a revenue loss of Rs. 50 crore a year.

Excise officials said that on an average these centres manufactured 10,000 cases each of fake Indian Made Foreign Liquor and arrack daily and supplied them to liquor shops and bars in Bangalore city and Bangalore Rural district.

The officials said that despite frequent raids, such illicit distillation units flourished in the district and they could not do much about it. Even the police were hesitant to enter these villages fearing reprisals from the anti-social elements involved in the trade. There have been many instances of the Excise and Police personnel being attacked by armed gangs at Bylanarsapura and Kattegehalli.

Superintendent of Police (Bangalore Rural) K. Sreenivasa said that a special action plan has been prepared to contain illicit distillation and sale of arrack. Check-posts have been set up on the routes to these villages. Teams consisting of officials from the Police, Excise and Revenue departments are conducting daily checks in these villages. Since July 1, several people have been arrested on the charge of manufacturing and selling arrack, he said.

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