Liquor shops along Kanwar Yatra routes on lens

NOIDA: The excise department on Saturday conducted surprise inspections at liquor shops and bars across Gautam Budh Nagar, directing them to strictly comply with operational norms, including screening liquor outlets along the Kanwar Yatra route with curtains and maintaining real-time CCTV surveillance

NOIDA: The excise department on Saturday conducted surprise inspections at liquor shops and bars across Gautam Budh Nagar, directing them to strictly comply with operational norms, including screening liquor outlets along the Kanwar Yatra route with curtains and maintaining real-time CCTV surveillance.

The excise department on Saturday conducted surprise inspections at liquor shops and bars across Gautam Budh Nagar (HT)

The inspections were conducted on the directions of the Uttar Pradesh excise commissioner Adarsh Singh, with excise inspectors fanning out across the district as part of a special enforcement drive.

Teams inspected country liquor shops, composite liquor outlets, model shops, premium retail shops and bars to verify compliance with provisions of the Excise Act and departmental guidelines.

“The objective of the drive was to verify compliance across all categories of licensed liquor outlets and ensure that prescribed rules are being followed. Test purchases were also conducted at different shops to assess whether liquor was being sold in accordance with prescribed norms.” said district excise officer Subodh Kumar.

During the drive, officials instructed operators of country liquor shops to display all available brands near the sales counter instead of selling liquor without proper product display. They also directed all licence holders to keep CCTV cameras installed at their outlets fully functional with uninterrupted real-time recording.

“All CCTV cameras installed at liquor shops should remain operational with real-time recording, and licence holders must ensure that every transaction is carried out through POS machines. These measures are intended to improve monitoring and maintain transparency in liquor sales,” Kumar said.

Special instructions were also issued for liquor shops located along the Kanwar Yatra route. Officials directed such outlets to remain covered with curtains while continuing operations strictly in accordance with applicable rules during the pilgrimage.

“Licence holders have been clearly told that any deviation from the prescribed norms will be dealt with strictly under the Excise Act and the prevailing rules. The department will continue conducting similar surprise inspections across the district to ensure compliance,” Kumar added.

The annual Kanwar Yatra, which commenced on July 30, has led to special administrative arrangements across western Uttar Pradesh, including Gautam Budh Nagar. The district has designated Kanwar routes where traffic movement and commercial activities, including the operation of liquor shops, are regulated to facilitate the movement of pilgrims.