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An Excise In Vain? Booze Brought Under Sakala Scheme In Karnataka As Sellers Allege Massive Government Corruption
The move is being widely praised by liquor associations in the state (Photo by Ramesh Pathania/Mint via Getty Images)
Karnataka Sakala Services Act will now have alcohol under its jurisdiction as the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka led by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has brought the sales of liquor under it. This move is being widely praised by all the liquor associations.
This comes after complaints poured in from vendors about the corruption that is rampant within the excise department. In some cases, there have been traders complaining about arm-twisting by the department to squeeze out more money from merchants. In a recent report, it was said that the department has been pushing hard liquor over beer in sales because it earns more revenue for the department.
Nearly 39 services that were earlier part of the excise department have now been brought under Sakala. Deccan Herald reported that Sunil Panwar, the additional mission director of Sakala, said that he aims to bring transparency in the excise department and eliminate all forms of corruption that currently exists.
By not adapting to digitisation, the excise department, say experts, are suffering revenue loss as muscular players will easily drown out the smaller ones in the market.
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