Pub owners told to link CCTV to Excise department HQ

Hyderabad: In what comes as the final warning before they lose their licence, pub owners have been ordered to link their CCTV cameras with the excise department. This was made clear by excise minister V. Srinivas Goud during a meeting with pub owners and managements on Friday.

The minister said that irrespective of the clout they enjoyed, the government would penalise all those caught indulging in drug activities. Goud cautioned pub owners that even the staff would be under constant vigil for any sort of drug abuse.

“Hyderabad is considered a good investment destination and this may see many establishments and educational institutions coming into the city. We must eradicate the menace of narcotics, once and for all,” he said.

Speaking about surveillance, excise commissioner Sarfaraj Ahmed said that cameras should be monitored in the surveillance room of the pub by an employee.

 “All pubs must save at least up to six weeks of footage. Since washrooms offer maximum privacy and there is no surveillance, the staff should be asked to keep a close eye on those using the washroom and ensure that there is no drug abuse,” he said.

The department is invoking the Preventive Detention (PD) Act against repeated drug offenders. Some of them are excommunicated, he said.

 “Pubs can remain open till 1 am on weekends and till 12 am on weekdays. Licenses of those remaining open beyond the permissible time are liable to be suspended,” the minister said.

Grim record

Excise crime cases in TS from February 1 to April 7

NDPS cases: - 192

Arrested: 304

Vehicles seized: 75

Accused bound over: 509

Drugs seized

Dry ganja: 1,290 kg

Ganja plants: 65

Hashish oil - 4.29 kg

Liquid marijuana: 1.142 litres

Weed oil: 636 gm

Cocaine: 11.759 gm

MDMA: 1.002 gm

LSD blots: 35

Charas: 0.37 gm

Raw alprazolam: 1.15 kg

Nitravit 10 mg: 300 pills

Alprax: 150 pills

Indian Made Liquor (IML): 391.5 litres

Beer: 168.35 litres