( pictures taken from SM)
The Uttarakhand government’s excise department is one of the largest seller of liquor in entire Uttarakhand generating around four thousand crores of rupees annually and now the target fixed to more than five thousand crores.
Despite the legal sale of liquor on a wide scale there is no dearth of illegal sales on massive scale on exorbitant rates in interior villages including at hotels, restaurants, resorts and various tourists spots.
Hundreds of cases of illegal transportation of liquor from Delhi , Haryana and interstate sources have been caught on the way but majority of the illegal liquor is not caught or allowed to go ahead even to spiritual destinations by greasing the palms of the local police etc.
In Uttarakhand on roadsides and in market areas one can easily find empty bottles, halfs and quarters of liquor as the locals and tourists drink abruptly on the way and throw liquor bottles on the roads or roadsides creating dump of liquor and plastic bottles thus deteriorating ( polluting) the already fragile environment of the spiritual Uttarakhand.
Several videos have gone viral in social media about people from outer states coming on the bank of Ganga and drinking liquor and beer spontaneously with girls and enjoying bath in pious river.
After inebriation there have been dangerous fights and registration of several cases in local police stations including seizing of cars.
In other words being close to Delhi, Haryana and UP towms the criminal and undesirable elements throng in here in large numbers with crates of whisky bottles and beeers including hookas and enjoy their picnicing on the banks of Ganga river which is strictly prohibited. Even drugs addiction has increased phenomenally.
There have been fights every day among the inebriated couples and friends or between the rival groups on the banks of Rishikesh Ganga , at Haridwar etc with the police personnel having a hard day to control these increasing skirmishes after inebriation.
As the sequel to these ongoing illegal liquor sales and dumps lying on roadsides and near hotels and resorts every morning , in Kirtinagar , Srinagar, Pauri Garhwal the local police took strict action against illegal liquor and destroyed the seized liquor by crushing it under a JCB machine.
This action was taken as part of a campaign being run on the instructions of the Senior Superintendent of Police.
Kotwali Kirtinagar police disposed of the illegal liquor seized in various cases from 2020 to 2026, following the legal process. During this period, illicit liquor related to eight cases registered under the Excise Act and goods related to one IPC case were destroyed using a JCB.
The entire operation was carried out transparently in the presence of Judicial Magistrate Kirtinagar in compliance with court orders.
The police clarified that similar strict campaigns against the illegal liquor trade in the area will continue.
It may be recalled that in Rishikesh, Dehradun, even spiritual township Haridwar and innthe interior towms and villages several liquor mafia groups in league with the local police are active selling spurious or adulterated liquor to the consumers earning exorbitantly and playing with the health of the consumers. In Rishikesh last year a liquor mafia had attacked a journalist of AANWLA NEWS CHSNNEL FOR EXPOSING HIM who was admitted at AIIMS Rishikesh forcseveral days with severe head and leg injuries.
(Sunil Negi with Harendra Negi)
