Lucknow: The Ministry of Excise and Prohibition, UP Government, slapped a fine of Rs 53 crore 91 lakh on Accurate Foods and Beverages Private Ltd., a company owned by the family of liquor baron Ponty Chadha, who was killed in Delhi on November 17, 2012.
The Excise Minister Jai Pratap Singh has cracked the whip 453 shops owned by the company in the Meerut zone for not depositing the installment and has given time till January 6, 2018 to do the same.
Speaking exclusively to News18, Minister Jai Pratap Singh said, “The Excise department has reviewed the entire matter since 2009 and found that 453 shops are being operated in the zone, where people are consuming liquor in some form or the other.
So, the company cannot say that shops are not running. Further investigation has revealed that the company owes Rs 53 crore 91 lakh to the department, which will have to be paid.”
Speaking on the issue, the minister said, “There are 453 domestic liquor contracts inside the Meerut Zone. According to the rate of 226 per bulk litre, almost Rs 53 crore 91 lakh is due on the company. The notice has also been sent to the company on December 30, 2017. If the company fails to deposit the amount then the government will have to take further action.”
Also, the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in the state is all set to announce a new liquor policy for the state next month in order to check illegal liquor trade and smuggling. In a bid to curb the state’s illicit liquor mafia, the Uttar Pradesh government had decided to add a section in the Excise Act to provide for death penalty or life imprisonment for those responsible for hooch-related deaths.
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