SOP issued for first time to plug loopholes
*Thrust laid on annual audit, regular inspections
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 18: Taking serious note of blatant violation of provisions of Jammu and Kashmir Excise Act and Liquor License and Sale Rules by the unit canteens of Army and paramilitary forces, the Excise Commissionerate has for the first time issued Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for strict compliance by all the concerned authorities in order to plug the loopholes.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir there are around 560 unit canteens of the Army, para-military forces, Border Roads Organization, Sampark and Himank and Excise Department has issued licenses and permissions for storage, transport, sale and possession of liquor.
For regulating storage and stocking of liquor pertaining to the Army-run unit canteens there are three main depots located at Bari Brahamana Cantonment, Northern Command Cantonment at Udhampur and Badami Bagh Cantonment at Srinagar.
However, till date the Excise Department had no mechanism in place to carry out inspections and audits of these unit canteens as a result of which provisions of the Excise Act and Rules as well as other terms and conditions of the licenses are being violated with impunity, sources further said.
“Even the officers of the Excise Department are not allowed to have free access to these unit canteens for inspection of stocks and registers despite numerous reports and instances of licensees violating the terms and conditions of licenses warranting initiation of action under Act and Rules”, they informed.
Taking serious note of the blatant violation of the terms and conditions of licenses as well as Excise Act and Rules, the Excise Commissioner Jammu and Kashmir Rajesh Kumar Shavan has issued Standard Operating Procedure in order to plug the loopholes and to ensure smooth functioning of the unit canteens across the Union Territory.
As per the SOP, the Excise and Taxation Officers shall maintain a proper record of all licensees located in their jurisdiction and in consultation with the Area Manager of the Canteen Stores Department/Deputy Inspector General of paramilitary forces and Chief Engineer of BRO/Himank/Sampark will consolidate quarterly permissions/sanctions granted for transport of liquor range wise before its submission to the Deputy Excise Commissioners.
All the Excise Officers including Excise Guards empowered under the Act/Rules have been asked to regularly inspect each unit canteen located in their jurisdiction and reconcile all record pertaining to transport, stocks and sale and maintain a proper register of the same.
“The Excise and Taxation Officers shall ensure that the liquor supplied to each licensee is not diverted to any un-authorized person and the stocks are properly checked as per the sanctioned/authorised quota fixed by the competent authority of such licensee”, the SOP said, adding “the Excise officers shall only deal with the licensee and the Area Manger of the Canteen Stores Department or Regional Manager and in no case with any person of the formation or unit”.
It has been made clear in the SOP that in case of any obstruction in performance of legitimate duty, the provisions of the Indian Penal Code as applicable to a Government servant while discharging official duty will be invoked. “Moreover, the proceedings under the Act/Rules will be initiated by the Excise and Taxation Officer/Deputy Excise Commissioner for appropriate orders of suspension, revocation and cancellation of licensee in case of any violation”, the SOP said.
All the Excise and Taxation Officers and Inspector Excise incharge of depots have been asked to transmit the details of liquor dispatched unit-wise on daily basis to the concerned field Excise and Taxation Officers enabling them to ensure hassle-free unloading of the consignment at respective locations. “No unloading will be allowed in absence of the Excise officials and in case of paramilitary forces the additional Excise Duty will be ensured strictly as per stocks received at each unit”, the Excise Commissioner has mentioned in the SOP.
The Deputy Excise Commissioner (Accounts) has been asked to conduct the annual audit of all supplies from the main depots and the Excise and Taxation Officer (Accounts) at the unit canteen levels.
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