Alcohol excise scam money funding terror outfits: BJP

PANAJI - Goa opposition leader Manohar Parrikar Thursday alleged that illicit liquor worth crores of rupees was being smuggled from here to states bordering Pakistan and the money used to fund terror outfits in the neighbouring country.

Claiming that there is a nexus between those involved in the multi-crore rupee alcohol scam and terror outfits, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, while speaking during the budget session of the assembly, sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention in the issue.

He said consignments of illicit and unaccounted liquor are being sent to states like Punjab and Rajasthan and also to several states in the north east.

“This is a serious matter. Border states in the north east, Punjab and Rajasthan are involved. The money is being used to fund terror networks. I still believe the prime minister has some uprightness. I will write to him to probe the issue,” Parrikar said.

Parrikar, a former chief minister, had during the last assembly session in December alleged a Rs.40 crore excise scam.

He said that several officials from the state excise department, including state Excise Commissioner Sandip Jacques were involved in the scam.

In order to curb increasing incidents of illegal export of illicit alcohol from Goa, the state excise department has asked authorities from the neighbouring states, Maharashtra and Karnataka to thoroughly verify the antecedents of liquor consignments coming from Goa.

In a written reply in the assembly, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, who is also the finance minister, said: “The department (excise) has informed all the relevant state excise commissioners not to issue export permit to any of the distilleries based in Goa unless the genuineness of import permits is verified from the Goa excise authorities.”

Admitting that he was aware of certain apprehensions about illegal large scale import/export of various types of spirits and alcohols, Kamat said that “screening of vehicles at border check posts has been beefed up”.

Kamat also said that the state government had initiated an inter-departmental enquiry into the alleged scam.

“The enquiry has commenced and a detailed explanation has been sought from the commissioner (excise),” Kamat said, adding that various documents were being “scutinised” by state Finance Secretary Udipta Ray, who is probing the scam.