STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The Deputy Excise Commissioner, Executive, Jammu, Mohammed Shahid Saleem on Thursday took annual revenue review meeting of Excise and Taxation Department’s Jammu division. The over-all growth scenario of the revenue receipts of the Excise Department, Jammu for the year 2015-16 was discussed threadbare and examined critically. It was noticed in the meeting that the revenue realisation of the Department remained exceedingly well during the whole financial year. The total Excise revenue realized by the Excise Department, Jammu during the financial year 2015-16 has been recorded to the tune of Rs. 195.64 crore against a target of Rs. 168.10 crore in comparison to the Rs. 165.01 crore against a target of 143.60 crore realized during the financial year, 2014-15. On Excise part the Excise Department, Jammu has recorded remarkable and highest ever growth of 18.55 per cent with 116.38 per cent achievement. The total Toll revenue realized by the Excise Department, Jammu during the financial year 2015-16 has been recorded to the tune of Rs. 131.70 crore against Rs. 101.72 crore realized during the financial year, 2014-15. The targets fixed for realisation of Toll revenue for the current fiscal has been achieved to the tune of 89.60 per cent as against 74.80 per cent last year.
On the front of Eradication and Enforcement activity, the Deputy Excise Commissioner appreciated the comprehensive drive launched by the Excise Department, Jammu to arrest the menace of illegal smuggling of liquor, illicit distillation and other violations of the J&K Excise Act, 1958. It was appreciated by the Deputy Excise Commissioner, Jammu that during the last fiscal, Nakas were laid on various national highways to check the Toll evasion and smuggling of illicit liquor. Simultaneously, more than 4,193 raids have been conducted in the entire Jammu division to arrest the menace of illegal smuggling of liquor from other States, illicit distillation of liquor and other violations as against 3,604 raids of last year. In the process, arrest of 153 persons has been made and cases have been lodged in various Courts of Law. More than 93,935 Kgs of Lahan as against 33,746 Kg of previous year, meant for manufacturing illicit liquor, has also been destroyed in the entire Jammu Division. In the process 3,217 bottles of liquor and 68 working stills have also been
destroyed. The J&K Excise Department launched a massive exercise to arrest the menace of over-charging by the retail licensees from customers and a cumulative fine of Rs. 15 lakh was imposed during the year as against 10.92 lakh of previous year.
It was appreciated in the meeting that during the current fiscal wild Bhang on about seven kanals of land was destroyed in Jammu and Kathua districts. The efforts made by the field functionaries towards eradication of illicit distillation were highly appreciated by the Deputy Excise Commissioner especially the efforts made by Sandeep Gupta, ETO, Kathua Excise Range and his team.
