MANGALDAI, May 29 - The Darrang district unit of AJYCP, Electronic Media Association of Darrang and different public organisations have welcomed the action taken by the Darrang Excise department against the alleged illegal functioning of a retail outlet of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) situated in the heart of Mangaldai town as per law. There has been a long standing public demand before the Deputy Commissioner, Darrang and the Excise department to make an impartial and thorough enquiry into the legitimacy of the functioning of the retail wine shop at the State Bank of India campus and its godown at another location along the LNB road of the town and close to a religious institution. It has been alleged that the licensee owner of the wine shop, a senior leader of the Darrang District Congress in nexus with a section of corrupt officers and staff of the Excise department had been able to make good money out of illegal sale of liquor from its godown not under any CC TV monitoring facility.
These anomalies prevailing in the business establishments were been proved in a recent inspection by the Excise authority and this led to a show cause notice being served to the licensee. However, the licensee failed to submit any satisfactory reply to the notice within the stipulated time compelling the authority to seal both the retail outlet and the godown owned by Debabrata Dutta, as informed to this correspondent by Pallabi Sarma Choudhury, Executive Magistrate and in charge Superintendent of Excise, Darrang on Friday evening.
The bold and timely action just at the beginning of a new Government led by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will definitely send down a strong message to the dishonest liquor traders and excise officials of the region, said Chandan Saikia, president of AJYCP, Darrang district unit while welcoming the official action in the greater public interest in the process saving the loss of government revenue.
