Wine makers ask Pb to check spurious liquor

The association recommended a “balanced, pragmatic and transparent approach” to deal with the AlcoBev business in the state for promoting responsible consumption and building economic opportunity. It said spurious liquor damaged health and stunted the government’s ability to tax and control legally produced alcohol. Market estimates suggest that in the year 2019-20, Punjab’s revenue loss due to illicit liquor trade was Rs SS crore for country liquor and Rs 355 crore for Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL). 

After the hooch tragedies in Tarn Taran, Amritsar, and Gurdaspur, the state government launched ‘Operation Red Rose’ to nail excise-related crimes, track the smugglers, and do administrative coordination to check illicit distillation, smuggling, and fake branding of liquor but the measures were not sustained. 

SOURCE: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/wine-makers-ask-pb-to-check-spurious-liquor/