‘Cancel liquor shop licence if rule flouted’

YAVATMAL: District guardian minister Sanjay Rathod on Monday instructed officials to cancel licences of liquor shop owners if they are found to be flouting the rules and regulations laid down by the state government.
Rathod chaired the meeting to review Jalyukta Shivar yojana, crop loan disbursal and excise department work, held in the collectorate. District collector Sachindra Pratap Singh, SP Akhilesh Kumar Singh, CEO Dr Mallinath Kalshetty and the department heads were present in the meeting.
Expressing his concern over the illicit trade of liquor in the district and its impact on the families of alcohol addicts, the minister said the excise department should keep a strict vigil and if anyone is found guilty of flouting the norms for selling liquor, the licence of the person or establishment concerned should be cancelled. “There are shop keepers who sell liquor from dawn till late night. If such cases are detected, the licence should be suspended immediately,” he said.
Rathod asked the excise SP Parag Navalekar to instruct shop keepers to install CCTV cameras in their establishments so that any irregularity could be detected.
Regarding the demand for liquor ban in the district, the minister said that it is the prerogative of the state government and it would consider the demand in due course.
Regarding the Jalyukta Shivar scheme, the minister has asked the CEO to implement the scheme in localities where it is needed.
The district administration has so far distributed Rs659 crore to 90,000 farmers as crop loan. The minister instructed the officers to expedite the procedure so that all the eligible farmers can get crop loan before the sowing season ends.