Governor takes stock of activities of Excise Department and Border Protection and Development Department
Guwahati,Rongili Barta- In a meeting held at Raj Bhavan today, Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria took stock of the Excise Department’s activities. Commissioner and Secretary to the Department, Rakesh Kumar, provided a detailed overview, emphasizing the department’s mission to regulate the sale of alcohol and approved liquor in the State. He also gave information about the department’s endeavour to generate revenue ensuring health of the consumer. The Commissioner also gave an idea about the department’s key performance indicators and revenue collection trends. The Commissioner also apprised the Governor of the newly implemented Transit Pass Mechanism to combat illegal transit of liquor across state borders. Moreover, he highlighted the groundbreaking initiative of affixing Tamper-free High Security Holograms with QR codes on liquor bottles, aimed at safeguarding consumers from counterfeit liquor and preventing duty evasion through the sale of smuggled products. During the meeting, Governor Shri Kataria reiterated the need of increasing the conviction rate under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) act cases. He asked officials to conduct a thorough review to identify the loopholes by which unscrupulous elements evade punitive actions for indulging in excise related violation of norms. Moreover, Governor Shri Kataria directed officials to take measures to curb the illegal transportation of liquors from neighbouring states. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between Assam police and their counterparts in other states to draw a strategic roadmap to effectively tackle this issue. In a separate meeting with the Border Protection and Development Department, Governor Kataria, alongside Minister Border Areas Development Atul Borah, discussed measures to enhance border security. The Principal Secretary of the Department, Gyanendra Dev Tripathi, provided an overview, detailing the background of Inter-State Boundary disputes. He also highlighted the steps taken by the State to amicably find solutions of the long standing inter-state boundary issues. The meeting also touched upon budgetary allocations and their utilization for securing the State’s boundaries. Both the meetings were attended by senior government officers from the Excise Department, Border Protection and Development Department and Raj Bhavan.