UP excise dept orders crackdown on farmhouses along Hry border over liquor smuggling

Particular attention, officials said, is being paid to prevent illegal liquor movement from Haryana into UP especially ahead of festive occasions and private events

NOIDA: The Uttar Pradesh excise department has asked the Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad authorities to plug excise revenue leaks and curb illegal liquor supply chains, with a focus on farmhouses located along the Haryana border, and regulation of bar licenses operating under temporary permits, officials said on Tuesday.

The directives followed a zone-level internal review involving senior excise officials from Meerut zone and division, along with district-level officers from Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad on Monday. (Sakib Ali/HT archives)

Excise teams have been instructed to carry out sustained surveillance and enforcement drives at border-side farmhouses increasingly being used for unregulated liquor consumption and suspected cross-border smuggling, they added.

Particular attention, officials said, is being paid to prevent illegal liquor movement from Haryana into UP especially ahead of festive occasions and private events.

The directives followed a zone-level internal review involving senior excise officials from Meerut zone and division, along with district-level officers from Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad on Monday.

“Continuous monitoring at the Haryana border and strict action against illegal liquor movement from other states is essential,” said UP excise commissioner Dr Adarsh Singh, at the meeting.

Misuse of FL-11 (occasional bar use) licenses must be curbed, and efforts should be made to transition them into permanent licenses wherever applicable, said Singh, adding that border areas require special vigilance, and enforcement must reflect that urgency.

Authorities noted that frequent misuse of FL-11 permits has blurred regulatory oversight, and converting them into permanent licenses may ensure better compliance and revenue stability.

“In line with the directives, we are increasing surveillance along the Haryana border, particularly at farmhouses which are often used for private events. Our teams are conducting regular checks to prevent the inflow of illicit liquor. At the same time, licensed entities in the district are being encouraged to increase indenting to help meet revenue targets. We have also begun reviewing FL-11 licenses operating in the district and will take steps to regularise them as per the policy,” said district excise officer (Gautam Budh Nagar) Subodh Kumar.