Boinda: Illegal liquor trade in Kishorenagar block of Angul district continues unabated as the Excise dept is in deep sleep with no police station of its own. A new building which was constructed two years ago, after dismantle of its then existing excise police station here, is yet to be inaugurated.
Worse, the previous excise police station had been running from a rented house. Later, it was decided to construct a new office building of its own and constructed at a cost of Rs 33 lakh. Besides, the office is presently running with limited staff.
Illegal trading of spurious liquors is rampantly going on in every village under Boinda, Handapa and Kishorenagar police limits of this block, which has troubled the residents.
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According to a source, the Boinda excise police station was set up to curb illegal trading of spurious liquor in 23 panchayats of the block. Initially, it operated with an assistant sub-Inspector (ASI) and two constables. However, the house was demolished in 2016 to facilitate the expansion work of NH-55 in Angul district.
Subsequently, a land was identified at Jamunali for the purpose and the new building was constructed. After completion, it was handed over to Rural Development department in June 2021.
When contacted, Boinda excise Inspector Balbir Gadnayak said, “Application for the supply of electricity to the new building has been submitted to authorities concerned. The excise police station will start functioning in full-fledged manner after completion of compound wall, the construction of which is underway.”
It is pertinent to mention, as many as 105 bootleggers were arrested by Boinda, Handapa and Kishorenagar police in between April 2021 to February 2022 and 141 cases have been registered.
About 3,380 litres of country-made liquor (Mahuli), 130 litres of juice extracted from date palm (Taadi) and 25 litres of foreign liquor were seized in connection with the cases.
Even to the extent, more than 41,000 kilograms of Mahula Pocha (a typical sedative drink) were seized during the same period.
The narcotics are being sold in Kishorenagar block through grocery, betel and tiffin shops. Regular raids are not being conducted in the absence of a full-fledged police station.
PNN
