Kathua officials on toes as Punjab polls near

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, February 10

Amid the Assembly poll hullabaloo in Punjab, the J&K police as well as excise officials are on toes to thwart any bid to smuggle liquor into the neighbouring state.

Special checkpoints by excise officials and the police have been established in different parts of Kathua, the adjoining district of Punjab, to check any movement of liquor or other material that could be misused in Punjab polls. Kathua district touches Pathankot of Punjab through Lakhanpur border.

Excise officials in Kathua are keeping a close eye on sale of liquor from vends and bars these days. Virender Kumar, Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO), Kathua, says the liquor sale data is matched with the corresponding period of last year to check if the sales have risen abnormally. “The information is then passed to the District Magistrate, Kathua,” he said.

“At least, 1,600 litres of raw material and 5-6 litres of illicit liquor were destroyed a day ago in different raids in Kathua. The process is continuing. We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that illicit liquor manufactured in Kathua is not used in Punjab polls,” said Virender Kumar.

Regular meetings of excise and police officials with their Punjab counterparts are also taking place place. The district administration also has plans to shut all the liquor vends in Kathua on the polling and result days.

At a meeting chaired by RC Kotwal, Kathua SSP, recently, officials were asked to keep a tab on the movement of suspicious persons in the area.

Shammi Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Headquarters, Kathua, said a vigil on the Punjab border had been increased. “To ensure the conduct of Punjab polls peacefully, we have established interstate checkpoints to check vehicles, especially during night hours,” he added.

He informed that border domination joint patrols with Punjab Police were being conducted along the border to ensure no unscrupulous element sneaks from J&K into Punjab.

Checking intensified

• Excise officials keep an eye on illegal sale of liquor from Kathua vends that can be misused during Punjab polls.
• Cops directed to set up checkpoints so that no unscrupulous element sneaks into Punjab.