Excise officials in the docks for flouting norms

SHILLONG: Excise officials who, in the past, failed to monitor setting up of liquor shops within reasonable distances of educational institutions, hospitals and religious places have now come under scanner with the recent move of the department to enforce amended guidelines on setting up of liquor stores.
Lack of proper monitoring and disregard to enforcement of rules by the Excise department allowed mushrooming of liquor shops in the State and along the national highways.
Informed sources on Thursday said though there were guidelines on restrictions to be following in setting up of liquor shops keeping reasonable distance from educational institutions, places of worship and hospitals, the same was not followed up in the past.
The amended order only ensured that there should be a distance of 200 meters from educational institutions, places of worship and hospitals, whereas the original guideline had mentioned a ‘reasonable distance’.
According to sources, without defining the ‘reasonable distance’ there was rampant issuing of licenses to set up liquor stores in the past without even considering the distance between one liquor store and another.
This resulted in a large number of liquor stores opening up across the city and even along the national highways.
Another concern is the rise in sale of illicit liquor following the recent order of the Excise department.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had said on Wednesday that the authorities concerned should take steps to ensure that there is no sale of illicit liquor in the State.