Illicit liquor manufacturing remains unchecked

In spite of the Excise Department imposing restrictions on the sale of black jaggery and alum, the illicit distillation of arrack is continuing unchecked in Agency villages of the district. The provisional stores in the Agency areas are stocking up on sugar bags.
In the open market, jaggery can be bought between Rs 70 and Rs 100 a kg. the traders are prohibited from selling large quantity of the jaggery. The Excise restrictions indicate that if anyone buys more than 10 kg of jaggery, the customers are required to show their Aadhaar card.
With the increased prices of liquor, the tipplers have been clamouring for illicitly-distilled arrack.
During the recently concluded Medaram festival, the illicit distillers sent lakhs of litres of illicitly-distilled arrack.
However, sugar can be bought at Rs 35-40 a kg. None will suspect the customer if one buys quintals of sugar. The illicit distillers of arrack instead of using black jaggery and alum in the preparation of ID arrack, they have been using sugar and cake powder which are easily available in bakeries. Therefore, the demand for sugar and cake powder has increased enormously. The traders have been maintaining the stocks of these commodities on a large scale. Quintals of sugar was found stocked with the traders in agency areas.
The brewing of ID arrack has been increasing daily in the Agency villages of Mahamuttaram, Kataram, Mahadevpur, Palimela and Malharmandals.