C'garh govt forms panel to study excise policy of other states

TheChhattisgarh government has constituted an 11-member committee to study the excise policy of other states where liquor is banned or is being sold under its supervision.
The panel will be headed by Ashok Agrawal, Secretary, Commercial Taxes department, an official said here today.
The order in this regard was issued here from the Mantralaya last evening, he added.
On February 15 this year, the state cabinet under Chief Minister Raman Singh had decided to form this committeeto study the prospects ofliquorban and its sale under government supervision.
Besides Agrawal, the study team has Lok Sabha MP from Bastar Dinesh Kashyap, Lok Sabha MP from Janjgir-Champa Kamla Devi Patle, MLA (Kabeerdham seat) Ashok Sahu, MLA (Kunkuri) Rohit Kumar Sai, Padma Shree awardee social worker Phulbasan Bai, former chairperson of Chhattisgarh State Women Commission Vibha Rao, Chartered Accountant Deepak Batra, Dr Shahshank Gupta of Pt Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Raipur, Chairman of Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce and MD (medicine) Amar Parwani as its nominated members, he said.

Special Secretary Commercial Taxes (Excise) AP Tripathi will be its member secretary, he added.

The panel members willvisit Gujarat and Bihar where totalliquorprohibition is implemented.
Besides, the team will also visit Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Delhi and tribal-dominated Jharkhand where state-owned corporations are operating liquor shops, he said.
The committee will submit its report to the state government within six months, he added.
Notably,Chhattisgarh government has amended its excise policy and constituted a fully state owned corporation to operate liquor outlets in the state.
According to the state government, the decision has been takento put a check on the illegal sale of liquor by peddlers or middlemen.

However, main opposition Congress has launched an agitation protesting the decision and demanded a complete ban on liquor in the state.