ACAUT Nagaland has taken up the issue of the pilferage of 2054 cases of IMFL/beer which it detected on May 26 at the destruction of seized IMFL in Dimapur, by filing a complaint with the state Vigilance Commission on July 19.
Stating this, ACAUT Nagaland Co-convenor Joel Nillo Kath and secretary Solomon L.Awomi maintained that the street value of the missing 2054 cases of IMFL/beer were worth around Rs.20 -30 lakhs and therefore demanded that the revenue loss be realised from the Excise department and deposited with the government.
They also questioned the role of the Excise Commissioner in the entire episode and demanded that the Vigilance Commission investigate the matter and take appropriate action.
Further, the ACAUT Nagaland signatories have also asserted that prohibition in Nagaland “ is not implemented at all” by the Excise department (and enclosed photographic evidence) and concluded that there was a pattern of understanding between the Excise department and liquor mafia in the state.
They have demanded that responsibility be fixed as per the law of the land in this regard.
In the complaint filed with the Vigilance Commission, ACAUT Nagaland has also submitted several documents related with the May 26 episode that also included clippings on statements/letters of the Excise Commissioner (EC) and parliamentary secretary Excise.
The signatories asserted that the counting of IMFL on May 26 was done in presence of a host of NGOs, civil societies and media. They said out of 4448 cases of assorted IMFL/beer as per the destruction order, ACAUT team found only 2394 IMFL cases but 2054 missing.
ACAUT said the Superintendent Excise(SE), did not refute the figure of missing IMFL, stated that 3480 IMFL cases were destroyed but which still left 968 IMFL cases missing.
ACAUT said suspecting shortage in the quantity, the vice president of Dimapur Urban Colony Council Chairmen Federation (DUCCCF) asked for counting but that Excise officers went ahead. It also referred to the press statement of the EC on May 26, wherein he had said ACAUT did not seek permission from the department to count the bottles.
ACAUT said middle level officers could not manipulate the quantity unless with expressed understanding of top officials.
It said issuing of show cause notice to a subordinate office nor suspension and transfer of officers would not end the matter.
It also cited the EC’s show cause to his subordinate on June 6 as an admission that the department erred despite having justified it to media earlier and the June 12 apology stating that a show cause was issued to the SE after the May 27 verification found that the entire quantity of IMFL was not brought. ACAUT also said statements by the EC on several occasions contradicted each other.
ACAUT cited the parliamentary secretary’s June 10 order for disciplinary action against erring officials. It said the June 18 and 24 orders of Commissioner & Secretary Excise for suspension of the SE, Inspector Excise and transfer of two more out of Dimapur have not been handed to it “under flimsy pretext”.
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