Kerala - Kozhikode   

Jagrata Samitis to check brewing of illicit liquor

Kozhikode: The district administration has decided to constitute ‘Jagrata Samitis’ in all 78 grama panchayats of the district to prevent brewing and distribution of illicit liquor.

A review meeting chaired by District Collector A. Jayathilak here decided to form the Jagrata Samitis in the wake of widespread brewing and sale of illicit liquor in the rural areas of the district. The local bodies would contribute to the activities of the proposed samitis.

It was also decided to carry out joint raids by the Excise and Police departments. The Highway Patrol would also conduct regular checks on petty shops and wayside eateries that are open during night hours.

Awareness classes on alcoholism and drug abuse would be organised at the local body level. The cooperation of prohibitionists would be sought in this regard.

The rural belts of Kannadipoyil, Balussery, Poovanmala, Kizhayoor, Chelia and Maniyoor are believed to be the centres of arrack brewing. Excise officials have identified some areas of Kakkur and Chelannur having brewing centres.

Usually, special squads are formed during Onam, Christmas-New Year, Easter-Vishu seasons to prevent the distribution of illicit liquor. Officials also carry out raids, but generate only routine response.

Preventing the flow of spirit over the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu borders is another daunting task before the Excise and Police departments. Personnel are usually deployed at the Muthanga check post.

Sometimes temporary check posts are set up at the entry points from Karnataka at Bavali and Tholpatti and at the entry points from Tamil Nadu at Tathaloor, Pazhoor and Vaduvanchal.

Exit points at Lakkadi, Pakkranthalam and Boystown in Wayanad district are places where distributors unload the spirit in large cans. They then employ Adivasis to transport the cans through the forests during the night.

Another porous point in the district is the 25-kilometre stretch of the Bavalipuzha flowing on the Kerala-Karnataka border. The spirit is usually trafficked to Kozhikode and then to the southern districts of Alappuzha and Kollam

Kozhikode Excise Assistant Commissioner C. Selvaraj, Deputy Superintendent of Police M. Johnson Joseph, Thoneri block panchayat president V. Damu and Iyyacheri Kunhikrishnan, T.M. Ravindran, O.J. Chinamma, K.V. Abdula Majeed, K.M. Unnerikutty, T.K. Vijayan and T. Abdul Nazer representing various anti-liquor organisations, took part in the meeting.

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