(MENAFN- IANS) Lucknow, Dec 5 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Excise Minister Nitin Agarwal has ordered that check- posts be put up in Agra, Mathura, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Baghpat, Saharanpur and Shamli regions to stop inter-state liquor smuggling.
He has also directed that PTZ, or pan, tilt, zoom cameras, be put up on liquor vends in the border areas to maintain an effective vigil.
The state government -- despite 10 per cent increase in excise revenue over the same period last year -- has expressed its concern over liquor smuggling from other states into Uttar Pradesh, especially those like Haryana where differences in pricing have often impacted revenues of vends here.
The minister said that he has ordered that show cause be issued to district excise officers of 10 such districts where revenue collections have been lowest.
Agarwal also ordered an assessment to find out if the revenue of liquor shops in Baghpat, that are located on the Haryana border was being impacted.
Smuggling of liquor from Delhi and Haryana into Uttar Pradesh is common due to price differences that depend on the quality of the brew.
"The differences have lessened but, at times, a bottle of country-made liquor perhaps still costs more in Uttar Pradesh as compared to Haryana. The difference in pricing goes up if you were to factor in costly liquor, including scotch," a liquor seller from Baghpat said.
The minister said that if revenue was being impacted due to liquor vends located close to the UP-Haryana border, then the Haryana government be approached to shift them accordingly. The minister also ordered that a vigil be maintained on the Saharanpur border too and said PTZ cameras be installed for proper vigil on shops in border areas.
Agarwal, however, noted that till November, the state's excise revenue was Rs 27, 340.97 crore that was 10 per cent (Rs 2,382.47 crore) more than what was a achieved at the same time.
"Efforts should be made to realise revenue worth more than Rs 50,000 crore in 2023-24," Agarwal has told excise officials.
He also ordered that a report be presented before him within 15 days on why there was no any expected increase in excise revenue in Kanpur.
"Special vigil be maintained on the Agra, Mathura, Lucknow highway till Bundelkhand highway and till Mirzapur and Sonbhadra to effectively check liquor smuggling," Agarwal said and ordered that cooperation of GST and police department be sought by the excise department.
On complaints of overrating of liquor from Deoria, Kushinagar, Pilibhit, Bareilly and other regions, the minister ordered that strict action be taken in all such cases where such complaints were found true.
--IANS
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