Liquor and politics makes for explosive cocktail

JULY 24: The Ludhiana liquor war' is threatening to blow up in the face of the Punjab government. Cabinet Minister for Excise amp; Taxat...

JULY 24: The Ludhiana liquor war8217; is threatening to blow up in the face of the Punjab government. Cabinet Minister for Excise amp; Taxation Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon has sought Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal8217;s intervention in writing in the face of a threat to his Department8217;s highest revenue-yielding circle.

Karion8217;s letter to Badal 8212; who is also his father-in-law and in charge of the Home Affairs and Justice portfolios 8212; is representative of matters coming to a head in Ludhiana. The latest price war has seen nine of the remaining liquor groups here claiming losses of Rs 40-90 lakh each in the last three months. Hitherto, the Excise department8217;s efforts to check price undercutting have come to nought.

Kairon has reportedly told Badal that if the price war is not curbed, the Department8217;s excise revenues will be in danger. He has demanded that the Ludhiana Police be more vigilant and proactive in checking illegal liquor sales and smuggling of liquor.

According to Eamp;T officials, Ludhiana contributes more than Rs 125 crore to the revenues annually. 8220;This year8217;s vend auctions yielded almost Rs 26 crore more than last year with the Patiala division 8212; of which the Ludhiana circle is a primary contributor 8212; accounting for Rs 24.42 crore,8221; a senior official said.

The income, however, is under threat from the price war raging between an association of nine groups and the two groups owned by Man Singh Garcha 8212; brother of Punjab Minister for Industrial Training amp; Technical Education J.S. Garcha, a Badal confidant 8212; and his partners.

Last year, Man Singh and his partners had a near-monoply over the 11 groups of the Ludhiana circle. This year8217;s auctions, supervised personally by Kairon, saw the break-up of the monopoly.

8220;This is not just a war between liquor contractors but a political tussle between the Badal and Kairon families. Adesh Pratap is perceived to have launched an attack on the Badal family men; in certain circles he8217;s regarded as the CM8217;s heir apparent. The Badal family, especially his son Sukhbir, cannot take this,8221; said an MLA.

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Kairon8217;s call for police intervention echoes the demand of the association of nine groups. 8220;We had told Badal that the Ludhiana Police was turning a blind eye to liquor smuggling and illegal sales on directions received from the top. The CM spoke to the SSP, but nothing changed,8221; said association president Jasbir Singh.

Man Singh is also charged with threatening Excise Inspector Hardev Singh, who alleged that he was intimidated and abused by Man Singh on July 1 while on patrol duty.

Minister Jagdish Garcha, on his part, has alleged that the Department8217;s highest officials were trying to defame his family and deflect attention from failures elsewhere. Garcha also said that one of the nine Ludhiana groups belonged to a Minister8217; but refused to name him.