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Puducherry urged to regulate “mushrooming of liquor shops” in border districts

— Photo:T. Singaravelou

Planning strategy: Officials from Prohibition and Enforcement Wing of Tamil Nadu Police, Excise Department and Puducherry police at a meeting in Puducherry on Thursday.

PUDUCHERRY: The Prohibition and Enforcement Wing (PEW) of Tamil Nadu Police on Thursday urged the Puducherry government to regulate the “mushrooming of liquor shops in uninhabited places” in the border districts.

The plea was made at the first joint meeting between officials of the PEW and the Excise Department of Puducherry here. Top police officers from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry also attended the meeting.

Officials of the PEW, which initiated the meeting, were of the view that location of wine shops in desolate pockets of Puducherry and Karaikal regions bordering on some districts of Tamil Nadu was the main reason for “clandestine transportation of liquor” to the State.

PEW officials said there were 18 IMFL outlets and 9 arrack shops in places bordering on Cuddalore district alone. These shops did not adopt uniform pricing but offered discounts for bulk purchase, mostly to persons from Tamil Nadu.

They have asked the district administration not to issue licence for setting up shops in places where there was no habitation and also check the antecedents of the applicants before giving permit. Bulk purchase of bottles from shops should also be banned, they said.

Another issue that came up for discussion was the use of stolen vehicles from Puducherry in the illegal trade of rectified spirit in Tamil Nadu. The PEW asked the Puducherry government to adopt safety measures while transporting rectified spirit from distilleries in Puducherry and Karaikal regions. They wanted to identify exit points radiating from the Union Territory to Cuddalore, Villupuram, Kancheepuram, Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts to check transportation of IMFL and rectified spirit.

It was also decided to evolve a joint mechanism to conduct vehicle checks and raids along the border districts. Both sides have agreed to exchange information about bootleggers involved in transportation of IMFL and rectified spirit, sources said. The PEW handed over a list of 20 wanted bootleggers from Puducherry involved in various cases.

Puducherry Collector G. Theva Neethi Dhas, Deputy Inspector General of Police (PEW) E.Ma. Masanamuthu, Senior Superintendent of Police, Puducherry, Chhaya Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Excise R. Anbajagane, Superintendent of Police, Villupuram, Amalraj, Superintendent of Police, Cuddalore, Pradip Kumar and Additional Superintendent of Police, PEW, Cuddalore, S. P Murugesan participated in the meeting.

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