In a significant development, Excise Commissioner Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Rajesh Kumar Shavan on Friday issued order for regulation in transportation of liquor from one place to other and term the “Transportation of liquor in vehicles carrying Press Logo as unethical” shaming the Nobel profession.
As per details available with The Chenab Times, Excise Commissioner vide Order No 32-EC of 2020 Dated 29-5-2020 issued detail order on vehicular Transport of Liquor.
The order stated that some licences have obtained multiple licenses in breach of rules and they utilised the vehicles of different make for transport of liquor from one premises to another wherever transport permits are issued by the competent authority.
“They do so as no uniform methodology has been adopted for the use of vehicles by the licences. The type of the vehicle to be used for the transport of liquor is left to the discretion of licensee as per his/her connivence wherever transport permits are issued by the department” read the order.
The order further readers that the licencees also utilised vehicles either owned by themselves or on hire bases but there is no proper identification or coding of such vehicles specifying carriage of liquor through them.
“Whereas in one case during the inspection it has been found that the trader was found utilising vehicles of the press (Print Media) and the name of the press was displayed in bold letters all over the vehicles giving enough impression that the vehicles were meant for carrying newspapers only. Where as the transport of liquor in the vehicle of press is not only unethical but illegal too as it creates a general impression of the press for safe passage at each check point/naka under the guise of newspaper” stated the order.
Excise Commissioner Rajesh Kumar Shavan in the back drop of the above observation ordered that henceforth no such vehicle carrying the logo or name of Press/Media shall be utilised for the transport of liquor in any case, no such vehicle shall be even parked inside the premises of any licensee, the Excise and Taxation Officer while issuing transport permits shall ensure that this condition is being fulfilled by the licensee and the vehicle carrying liquor on contrary shall display the banner/board indicating “Liquor/Wine under valid transport”.(CT)
Asif Iqbal Naik is a senior journalist and Senior Advisor at The Chenab Times