Directions of HC, Finance Minister carry no importance for Excise Deptt

Policy decision about de-addiction centres being violated openly

Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 8: Those at the helm of affairs in the Excise Department have become so callous that they even don’t give any importance to the explicit directions of the State High Court as well as Finance Minister besides blatantly violating the key provisions of the Excise Policy, which otherwise have been drafted to bring about greater social consciousness about the harmful effects of consumption of liquor and alcoholic beverages.
This can be gauged from the fate of directions vis-à-vis installation of scanners at Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir, for proper checking of each and every vehicle and establishment of de-addiction centres in different parts of the State under Social Responsibility Corpus Fund.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that High Court while dealing with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) titled Syed Tahir Iqbal Versus State of Jammu and Kashmir and others passed order on September 26, 2013 directed the State to install scanners at Toll Post Lakhanpur to detect illegal movement of banned polythene.
Acting on the directions of the High Court, General Administration Department vide Order No.1528 dated October 25, 2013 constituted a committee to explore the feasibility of installation of technical/electronic equipments—scanners etc for checking/frisking of vehicles passing through the Toll Post at Lakhanpur.
The committee headed by Chief Engineer Mechanical, Kashmir and comprising of Additional Commissioner Commercial Taxes (Admn) Jammu, Deputy Excise Commissioner, Toll Post Lakhanpur, representatives from Police Headquarters and Senior Law Officer, Finance Department was directed to submit its report within a period of one month. It was explicitly mentioned in the GAD order that office of the Excise Commissioner would extend all possible assistance to the committee in completion of the assigned task.
Again vide Order No.1609 dated November 27, 2013 the General Administration Department removed representative from the Police Headquarters and Senior Law Officer, Finance Department from the committee and it was mentioned that Chairman of the committee shall co-opt two experts as members.
“However, what happened, thereafter, remains a mystery and the directions of the High Court have remained un-implemented till date”, sources said, adding “this is notwithstanding the fact that installation of scanners would be of immense help in not only checking illegal movement of banned polythene as was reflected in the High Court order but would have helped in checking smuggling of illicit liquor, bovines, narcotic drugs and banned medicines, which otherwise have created havoc in Jammu and Kashmir”.
Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu too felt the necessity of installation of scanners during his visit to Toll Post Lakhanpur on February 21, 2017 and he passed clear directions to those at the helm of affairs in the Excise Department to purchase full body scanners for physical checking of vehicles.
“However, despite lapse of nearly six months the directions of the Finance Minister have remained un-implemented”, sources regretted, adding “this clearly indicates that for those at the helm of affairs in the Excise Department the directions from such a highest level don’t carry any importance”. Whose interests the Excise Department is watching by not implementing the orders of highest court of the State as well as Minister Incharge?, sources wondered.
Not only the Excise Department is handling the directions of High Court and Finance Minister with utter disregard but it is also openly violating the key provisions of the Excise Policy 2017-18, which was notified vide SRO-157 dated March 30, 2017.
Point No.19 of the Excise Policy which deals with Social Responsibility Corpus Fund clearly states that in order to eliminate or reduce the consumption of liquor primarily through mass awareness about the harmful effects of consumption of liquor the Excise Department shall establish de-addiction centres in different parts of the State.
“However, till date no such centre has been opened by the Excise Department although sufficient funds are available for this purpose”, sources regretted, adding “even Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu has issued directions for strict implementation of this provision of the Excise Policy a number of times during the events organized by the Excise Department”.
It is pertinent to mention here that Excise Policy states that Excise Department will exhort all its stakeholders to contribute a minimum of 2 per cent of their annual profit towards CRS Fund, which will be used for educating the masses, reduction of instances of drunken driving, de-addiction activities and providing health support by way of making available ambulance services on the National Highways.
“It is also unfortunate that the Government has maintained criminal silence towards the flouting of directions and key provisions of Excise Policy by those at the helm of affairs in the Excise Department”, sources regretted.

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