GUWAHATI, Feb 21 - The State Assembly today passed the amendments made in The Assam Excise Act, 2000, making offences related to liquor trade and consumption more stringent.
Three sections of the Act which deal with unlawful import, export, transport, manufacture, possession, sale, etc., possession of duty-evaded intoxicants and trading of denatured spirit have been made non-bailable.
The amendments, while defining a clear procedure for recovery of dues from the defaulters of excise revenue, make offence for non-payment of duty or fee punishable with imprisonment for a term up to three years and with fine up to 300 per cent of the duty, fee or other levies due from the licence holders.
Penalty provisions for punishment under Section 54 (unlawful possession in certain cases such as duty-evaded intoxicants, etc.) has been made punishable with imprisonment for a term up to three years and with fine up to Rs five lakh.
Provision for penalty under Section 53(1) (dealing with matters relating to unlawful import, export, transport, manufacture, possession, sale, etc.) has been made more stringent and made punishable for a term up to three years and with fine up to Rs five lakh.
Penalty provision under Section 55 (which deals with trade of denatured liquor) has been made punishable with imprisonment for a term up to five years and with fine up to Rs two lakh.
Penalty for breach of conditions of licence, etc., has also been made more stringent.
The Act has also been amended to define public place and two new sections � namely Section 61-A and Section 61-B � have been inserted making the consumption of alcohol in a public place punishable with fine up to Rs 50 thousand or/and imprisonment up to six months.
Another new section has been inserted making punishment provisions for offences by companies.
Section 76 was amended to rationalise the power to compound the bailable offences under this Act and to introduce procedure for seizure of vehicles etc. Also, in case the licence holder commits the same offence for the second time, his compounding fee will be double the amount paid for the same offence committed earlier.