DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 20 (MExN): After decades of tackling liquor barons with really nothing for defense, personnel of the State Excise department were today presented with arms and ammunitions.
47 303 rifles and 17 ‘sten-guns’ and ammunitions were officially handed over to Excise personnel at a ceremony Thursday at the Directorate of Excise in Dimapur. The Commissioner of Excise Maongwati Aier said during the ceremony that the firearms were sanctioned after ‘lobbying hard to procure arms for the department’s personnel.’
It was informed that the personnel of Excise have been imparted training in handling weapons. Also, the Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau, New Delhi, is said to have approved the proposal of the Nagaland Excise department to ‘modernize’ the department.
“During 2012 the government has approved for three new Excise districts at Longleng, Peren and Kiphire. And the Excise department have operationalized the three district offices with effect from October 2012,” Aier said during the ceremony.
According to him 2012 also saw ‘a substantial increase of Rs one crore’ in Excise revenue. “The tentative financial achievement of Excise department during 2012 is around Rs four crore as Excise revenue as against Rs 3 crore only during 2011 by way of Excise duty, license fees, penalty fines on violators of Liquor Prohibition Act.” He added that approximately 200 cases were registered under the NLTP and NDPS Act. About 150 persons were booked and arrested.
Also, according to the Superintendent of Excise and Prohibition Lanuwati Jamir the value of destroyed IMFL was estimated at about Rs 39 lakhs. Likewise, the revenue amounted to about Rs 5 lakhs while the number of persons arrested during the same span of time was 245, the Excise SP said.
