Several complaints have been filed against liquor contractors in Jabalpur, who are accused of overpricing their products. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has now launched an investigation into the role of excise department officials after they failed to take any action against the contractors. The EOW has registered a case against five contractors who were found guilty of selling liquor at a higher price than the maximum sale price. This has led to losses for the state exchequer, amounting to approximately 20 crore INR this financial year alone.
The sale of overpriced liquor has been going on for the past two months, with many locals falling ill due to ingesting substandard liquor as a result of the inflated prices. In their complaint, villagers claim that the contractors have been earning around 35 lakh INR per day from the sale of overpriced liquor, amounting to 115 crore INR a year in black money. It is estimated that the state exchequer is losing approximately 11.55 crore INR as VAT and an additional 9 crore INR in transportation tax.
The complaint also claims that monthly bribes of 70 lakh INR are paid to officials in the excise department in order to turn a blind eye to the illegal activity. This has resulted in significant financial losses for the state government and denied them other taxes, such as income tax and other miscellaneous taxes, which would have otherwise been generated.
If it were not for the EOW’s intervention, the state would have faced a loss of 20 crore INR in the current financial year alone. Furthermore, the sale of overpriced liquor would have continued to generate black money, amounting to around 150 crore INR annually.
It remains to be seen what action the EOW will take against the liquor contractors and officials within the excise department. However, the investigation highlights the importance of holding accountable those who engage in illegal and unethical practices.
