In an effort to curb the misuse and illegal diversion of Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA), Rectified Spirit (RS), and ethanol, the state prohibition and excise department held a statewide video conference with distillery officials. The meeting, led by Excise Commissioner Nishanth Kumar and Enforcement Director Rahul Dev Sharma, focused on strengthening monitoring mechanisms at distilleries to prevent the misuse of alcohol meant for industrial or potable purposes.
Mukesh Kumar Meena, Principal Secretary for Excise and General Administration Department (GAD), stressed the importance of stringent regulatory oversight to prevent such diversions. He highlighted the need for greater accountability, transparency, and the adoption of technology-based monitoring systems. Meena’s ongoing reviews and collaboration with enforcement teams have intensified efforts to crack down on illegal activities. He also instructed officials to boost interdepartmental coordination, upgrade surveillance systems, and address deficiencies in tracking the movement and use of industrial alcohol, reported The Hans India.
This initiative follows a major enforcement operation in the Palakollu spurious liquor case, which led to the arrest of 36 people and the seizure of over 2,200 litres of diverted spirit, along with fake liquor bottles, labels, and packaging materials.
Investigations revealed a well-organised network diverting spirit—meant for industrial use, such as hand sanitizer production, for the manufacture of illicit liquor. Two repeat offenders confessed to obtaining ethanol from a Telangana-based pharmaceutical company that had misused its RS-III licence and temporary Covid-era permits. Supporting materials, including empty bottles, brand labels, and caps, were sourced from vendors in Mumbai, exposing the interstate scale of the operation.
