Steps to tighten Excise vigil at Walayar

With sales tax check-posts being closed down, vehicles are crossing border sans inspection

Under fire for its alleged lax vigil against drugs and alcohol smuggling, the Excise Department has decided to increase vehicle checking at the border town of Walayar in Palakkad district.

After the Commercial Taxes Department stopped operations of India’s largest interstate check-post at Walayar last week, there has been no stopping of Kerala-bound vehicles at the border for inspection. Following the rolling out of Goods and services Tax (GST) on July 1, it became easy for vehicles carrying spirit, alcoholic products, and drugs to reach the State without waiting for clearance at Walayar.

Though the State witness large-scale smuggling in of illicit spirit during every Onam, the last festival season saw no mechanism at Walayar to prevent the flow. Not even a single litre of spirit was seized during the season from Walayar.

With the sales tax check-posts becoming history, the Excise Department has approached the State government to get permission to use the existing buildings and other facilities of the sales tax wing to strengthen the combing team. At present, only a circle inspector and three inspectors work at Walayar. Now, the department is planning to deploy three circle inspectors there to ensure round-the-clock vigil against liquor and narcotics flow. The number of inspectors also would be increased in proportion.

CCTV cameras

There are also plans to depute an assistant commissioner who can coordinate the vigil at eight other entry check-posts in Palakkad district. Steps to install CCTV cameras at all the border towns are also progressing.

When the commercial taxes check-post was active, vehicles had to stop for several hours to get clearance. The Excise Department inspected goods being transported during this time. At present, the department has very minimal facilities at Walayar. Securing the facilities of the Sales Tax Department would help boost the combing operations.

The department is also planning to take over Sales Tax Department buildings at Naduppuni, Gopalapuram, Meenakshipuram, Ozhalapathy, Chemmanampathi, and Anaikatty also to strengthen its activities. Compared to other districts, smuggling in of liquor and narcotics happens mainly through the interstate roads of Palakkad.

Earlier, the liquor mafia was keen in smuggling spirit into Kerala bribing officials at Walayar for adding it to the local toddy and seconds foreign liquor. When the check- posts were active, the spirit mafia had been using rural cut- roads to skip the inspection.