Khammam declared id liquor-free
The excise department evolved an action plan to get support of other departments.
Khammam: Khammam district was declared a gudumba-free district from Tuesday. The self-help groups stood in forefront in eradicating the evil from the district.
About 150 groups in 16 mandals including Karepalli, Tirumalayapalem, Enkoor, Julurpad, Kamepalli, Yellandu, Tallada, Bayyaram and Wyra worked a lot in the achievement.
Interestingly, members of SHGs had given information to the excise and police on the arrack brewing centres. Sometimes, these SHGs involved in the raids and destroyed the material used for illicit arrack.
The excise department evolved an action plan to get support of other departments. It was achieved because of the support by all the departments including police, revenue, panchayat raj and forest to the excise officials.
Though the government declared Khammam a gudumba-free one but the administration should keep constant vigil to continue the system.
The government constituted coordination committee with excise, police and revenue to achieve the target on September 16. With this, 2,439 cases have been filed for brewing arrack and 2,064 persons were arrested. In a record, about 27,672 litres of arrack was destroyed and 61,723 kg black jiggery was seized.
The Prevention of Detention Act was imposed on four kingpins of the arrack and they were sent to jail. Cases under IPC and CrPC have been booked against 2,094 persons, who sold the material for brewing arrack and extending help to the brewers.
About 180 vehicles were seized during the raids and penalty of Rs 2.85 lakh was imposed on 29 persons who violated bind over bonds. The excise officials were asked to keep a vigil on habitual brewers.