Eluru: Officials told to check illicit liquor

Eluru: District collector Prasanna Venkatesh asked officials to control belt shops and prevent sale of illicit liquor. He also instructed them to ensure no wine shops are present in vicinity of schools, places of worship and residential areas.

He organised a review meeting with officials of excise, Special Enforcement Bureau and breweries at Collectorate here on Thursday.

Collector said that people’s health is at stake because of belt shops which sell illicit liquor in the bottles of costly liquor.

Unaware of the quality of the liquor the consumers have been buying illicit liquor by risking their health. Officials are asked to focus on the areas where sale of liquor declined in government liquor shops to contain illicit liquor sales through belt shops in the respective areas.

He also stressed on measures to prevent alcohol consumption in public places.

Excise department assistant commissioner V Chandrasekhara Reddy, SEB joint director N Suryachandra Rao, prohibition and excise officer Dr RS Kumar Eswaran, and other officials were present.