PANAJI
People transporting liquor from Goa to Maharashtra are now likely to face stringent action under various sections of the Maharashtra Control Of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
Maharashtra Excise Minister Shambhuraj Desai has instructed the excise officials of Kolhapur and Sindhudurg districts to take necessary actions even as he said the permit issued in Goa to transport liquor to Maharashtra does not bear any significance.
“Permits given by liquor vendors to customers in Goa do not bear any significance in Maharashtra and it is not permissible under the law to transport even a single bottle of liquor from Goa to Maharashtra”, he said.
Desai said the department will carry out a drive to crackdown on smuggling of liquor from other States, especially Goa, where alcohol is cheap compared to the other regions.
He has asked authorities to set up temporary, portable cabins as checkpoints on unattended smaller routes connecting Goa and Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra which shares the border between the two States.
He further said that he has sought reports from the excise department to find out about people or gangs involved in the illegal transportation of liquor from Goa and its sale in the State.
