UT, Punjab, Haryana join hands to check liquor smuggling

CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh administration and state governments of Punjab and Haryana have joined hands to curb liquor smuggling in the region.
The first meeting of the committee, which was formed by the Punjab governor-cum-UT administrator, V P Singh Badnore, to stop illegal liquor smuggling was held in UT Secretariat, Sector 9, on Thursday. The meeting was attended by UT adviser Manoj Parida, Punjab additional chief secretary M P Singh, Haryana additional chief secretary Sanjeev Kaushal and other senior officials of UT, Punjab and Haryana.
In the meeting, the members discussed that there is a need to rationalize the liquor price difference in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana.
The members decided that the enforcement agencies of UT, Punjab and Haryana, will be strengthened to plug the smuggling of liquor, and strict action will be taken against liquor smugglers.
The committee has finalised that there will be two joint action committees, one at the level of assistant excise taxation commissioners (AETCs) and second at the level of senior officers of UT, Punjab and Haryana. The AETCs of both the state and Chandigarh will meet every month, and work together to stop smuggling of liquor by sharing information. Meanwhile, joint action committee of senior officials will meet on a quarterly basis.