Prohibition and Excise

INTRODUCTION

The Prohibition and Excise Wing of the Government of Tamil Nadu functions under the Administrative control of Home, Prohibition and Excise Department. The following three organizations and one Public Sector Undertaking are functioning under this Department :-

1. Commissionerate of Prohibition and Excise
2. Prohibition Enforcement Wing
3. Narcotic Intelligence Bureau (NIB) CID
4. Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC)

Main Objectives:

• To implement the Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act, 1937 (Tamil Nadu X of 1937) and various rules framed there under.
• To ensure maximum revenue to the Government without seepage.
• To create awareness among the public about the evils of consuming liquor.
• To prohibit the illicit distillation and sale of illicit arrack and conduct raids to stop the inflow of spurious liquor through the State border, in co-ordination with the Prohibition Enforcement Wing.

Officers Incharge:-

In Ariyalur District, the District Collector is assisted by Assistant Commissioner (Excise) in the cadre Deputy Collector and two Divisional Excise Officer i.e., one for  Ariyalur  and another for Udayarpalayam in the cadre of Tahsildar with their Excise Inspectors to implement the prohibition and Excise work.

e-Governance Initiatives:-

In order to create transparency in the entire process and to substantially reduce the time taken for renewal of licenses and for issue of export and import permits, the following process have been made online with web enabled applications :-
FL3 Licenses for Hotel is carried out through on-line.

Conducting Awareness Campaigns against the evils   of Consumptions of liquor and Drunken Driving and Awareness Campaign against Drug Abuse:-

A District level Committee has  been constituted in each District under the Chairmanship of the District Collector with  the following Members to chalk out a plan to carry out the Awareness activities in the Districts against against the evils of Consumptions of liquor and Drunken Driving:-

The awareness activities like rallies, Camps, Street Plays, skits, elocution  completion, essay competition, advertisement at public places, distribution of pamphlets, human chains etc… or being conducted specifically in identified locations by the District Administration with the help of students, Self-Help Groups  and non Governmental Organization, targeting habitations with population vulnerable to liquor drinking. To create awareness about  evils  of  consumption of liquor among school /college students group discussions, poster making and essay competitions through online are being conducted in schools and colleges.  Apart from this, awareness materials T-shirts, Travel bags and calendar are being distributed to public.  Apart from conducting street plays  in  Villages, seminar in colleges and schools, mass awareness processions are being conducted District wise and during the awareness processions, pamphlets are being circulated among the public to create awareness against consumption of liquor. Cultural events are being conducted in all the districts as part of the awareness campaign. Stickers are supplied to Transport corporations and those stickers are pasted in the buses. Statewide  completion like poetry writing, Story writing and shortfall making  are being conducted in connection with awareness campaign.

PROHIBITION ENFORCEMENT WING:-

The main functions of the Prohibition Enforcement Wing are eradication illicit distillation, transportation, hoarding and selling of ID arrack and prevention of smuggling of spurious liquor/un-excised and  Indian Made Foreign Liquor from other states of Tamil Nadu.  At District level Superintendent of Police is assisted by Additional Superintendent of Police (P&E), One Inspector of Police, Two Sub-Inspectors with Constables.

Measures to curb the smuggling of Spurious Liquor / Rectified Spirit from neighboring States:-

• Special teams have been formed to curtail the smuggling of rectified spirit, spurious liquor and other State IMFL from the neighboring States and arrest the persons involved in this illegal activities with the assistance of intelligence received from the General Public and CDR analysis.
• To prevent the reuse of seized and auctioned vehicles in prohibition related offences, Orders were issued by the Government to utilized seized vehicles government or departments or to destroy the vehicles as per the rules.

Observing international day against drugs abuse illicit trafficking

The international day against drugs abuse illicit trafficking is being observed on 26^th June of every year to create awareness among the public against drug and illicit trafficking in narcotic Drugs and psychotropic substances. During this year, awareness video were uploaded in various social media Platforms such as face book you tube and in popular news TV Channels .

Preventive detention of drug offenders:-

During the year 2021-2022 ,  07 drug offenders,  08 Boot leggers  were detained under the Tamil Nadu prevention of dangerous activities of boot legers under (Tamil Nadu Act.14 of 1982).

District Managers Offices, Depots, liquor retail vending shops and Bars :-

In Ariyalur, TASMAC 53 retail vending shops and 5 Bars attached to these retails vending shops. 57 Shop supervisors, 102 Salesmen .are working in the retails vending shops on contract/consolidated  pay  basis. Every year the consolidated pay of these employees is being enhanced.

Procurement  of Liquor :-

TASMAC Procures Indian Made Foreign Spirits from 11 Units, Beer from 5 Units and Wine products 2 Winery unit functioning in the State.

In order to prevent theft and to improve security,  IP CCTV Cameras have been installed in shops across the District.  This will not only facilitate the reduction in number of theft / attempts to theft but also facilitate in identification of individuals who indulge in burglary and theft. It also facilitates in identification of suspicious activities near the shops. The feed / images captured by IP CCTV cameras are being linked to concerned District Manager’s Office and Corporate Office. Fire extinguishers have been installed in all IMFS Depots and retail vending shops.

Dry Days

In Tamil Nadu, There will be no sale of liquor on the following Eight days in Tamil Nadu, viz., Gandhi Jayanthi Day, Thiruvalluvar Day, Mahavir  Jayanthi Day, Birth Day Eve of Nabigal Nayagam, Vadalur Ramalingar Ninaivu  Naal, Independence Day, Republic Day and May Day. Apart from the above days, days of important events and days related to Parliament, Legislative Assembly and Local Body Elections are also declared as dry days now and then.

Prohibition fund for erstwhile Prohibition Offenders:-

About the Scheme:

With a view to rehabilitate erstwhile prohibition Offenders socially and economically , the Government sanctioned financial assistance as loan.  At present this financial assistance has been enhanced to Rs.5.00 crores at state level and instead of rendering it by way of loan, it is sanctioned as grant .

There is a Rehabilitation Committee is each District Headed by the District Collector comprising the following officials to identify eligible beneficiaries under the scheme and distribute the grant to them  for their  Economic Rehabilitation.

Each identified beneficiaries  will get a grant up to a maximum of Rs.30000/- to create permanent income through different kinds of professions like sheep and Milch animals breeding, production of Agarbhathi, camphor, preparation instant sampirani,  candles, Paper cups washing soap, soap powder and such small rates.

In Ariyalur District, 57 persons are benefited through the scheme  during the financial year of 2021 -22.

Eligibility Criteria::

• The prohibition offenders who have left the illegal Profession and are economically weak and then decide not to redo the illegal Profession.

How to apply:

• Application to be submitted to District Collector, Ariyalur or Assistant Commissioner (Excise), Perambalur. No fee for application.