Retail sales of foreign liquor, Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), and country liquor will not be allowed to be sold at licensed premises during the urban body election in Odisha. In a letter, State Excise Commissioner Ashish Kumar Singh asked collectors and district magistrates to declare dry days from March 22, 5 pm to March 26. The decision has been taken in tune with the Section 135C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 as per which no spirituous, fermented, or intoxicating liquors or other substances of a like nature shall be sold, given, or distributed at a hotel, eating house, tavern, shop or any other place, public or private, within a polling area within the respective wards.The ‘Dry Day’ will be in force from the period preceding the poll, up to the day following the poll day. The decision will be in force in areas where re-polling will be held. As per the decision, no liquor shops, hotels, restaurants, clubs and other establishments selling and serving liquor shall be permitted to sell and serve liquor to anyone whosoever during the dry day. Also, non-proprietary clubs, star hotels, restaurants, etc., and hotels run by anyone, even if they are issued different categories of licenses for possession and supply of liquor shall be permitted to serve liquor during the Dry Day period.“The storage of liquor by individuals shall be curtailed during the above period and restrictions provided in the excise law on the storage of liquor in unlicensed premises shall be vigorously enforced,” the letter read.The Excise Commissioner also directed the collectors to take steps to prohibit the sale of liquor in the areas adjoining the wards to forestall the chance of clandestine movement of liquor from the area, had the restrictions not been in force. Intensified joint raids by excise, police and forest personnel may be resorted to avert any liquor-related issue, the directive stated.Read all the Latest News , Breaking News and Ukraine-Russia War Live Updates here.
