In a major crackdown on the illegal sale and distribution of liquor in the bordering industrial belt of Baddi, the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SVACB) seized a large quantity of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) from two vends at Mandhala and Kalujhinda. The liquor was meant for sale in Punjab and Chandigarh.The bureau inspected the two vends following specific inputs that liquor being sold there was sourced from Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh in violation of the Himachal Pradesh Excise Act.Officials of the state Excise Department were also roped in by the bureau for the inspections.During the inspection of the liquor vend at Mandhala, a substantial quantity of liquor bearing markings indicating that it was meant for sale in Chandigarh and Punjab was seized.The seized stock included 257 full bottles, 173 half bottles and 162 quarter bottles of liquor meant for sale in Chandigarh. In addition, 107 beer bottles and 41 beer cans meant for sale in Punjab were also seized by the bureau officials.In a subsequent inspection, the team searched another liquor vend at Kalujhinda, belonging to the same owner, in the presence of Excise Department officials. The search yielded 354 bottles of liquor meant for sale in Chandigarh.The bureau registered two separate FIRs against the salesmen and the owner of the two vends at its police station in Baddi under the provisions of the HP Excise Act.Liquor sold in neighbouring areas such as Chandigarh is cheaper by Rs 200 to Rs 300 per bottle, prompting liquor licensees to indulge in its surreptitious sale from vends located along the border. Licensees in Himachal Pradesh are also subject to higher licence fees and excise duties compared to their counterparts in neighbouring states.The officials of the Excise Department have merely initiated action under Section 43 of the HP Excise Act, which imposes a penalty on the offender, while the licensee has been permitted to continue operating the vend.The revelation has brought the role of Excise Department officials under scrutiny, as the bureau unearthed the unauthorised sale of liquor, which had gone undetected and was causing losses to the state exchequer.Further investigation is under way to establish the source, supply chain and possible involvement of other persons in the illegal sale and distribution of liquor in the area.Ashok Tewari, Director General of Police (DGP), urged people to remain vigilant and actively cooperate with the police in identifying and reporting illegal activities in their vicinity.He urged citizens not to remain silent spectators and to promptly share credible information regarding the illegal liquor trade, drug trafficking, corruption, organised criminal activities and other unlawful practices with the police.The DGP assured the public that the identity of every informant would be kept strictly confidential and protected.