Illicit liquor business resumes in remote areas of erstwhile Karimnagar

In order to eradicate the gudumba menace from the State, the government had taken up a special drive to check the illegal trade and to provide rehabilitation to those involved in the business.

Karimnagar: Making of gudumba (Illicitly Distilled liquor) has allegedly resumed in remote areas of the erstwhile Karimnagar district after the closure of belt shops.

In order to eradicate the gudumba menace from the State, the government had taken up a special drive to check the illegal trade and to provide rehabilitation to those involved in the business. With the drive turning out to be successful, those habituated to liquor had turned to belt-shops located either in their village or nearby areas. However, the Mode Code of Conduct prompted raids on such belt shops, thus closing that window too.

---

Excise department sources said since belt shops were being operated illegally, Excise officials had carried out raids and closed all the belt shops in rural areas. As a result, daily wage labourers, farm workers and other labourers have reportedly returned to gudumba, the makers of which are making most of the situation.

In the wake of an increase in the production of gudumba, the Excise and police have intensified raids on manufacturing units and destroyed some of them, officials said. On November 5, Excise cops destroyed a unit near Rajaram village, Mallial mandal. Besides five litres of illicitly distilled (ID) liquor, 200 litres of jaggery juice was seized. A case was also registered against one person, Shivaratri Mahesh.

In another incident, 15 litres of ID liquor, 50 kg of black jaggery and 800 litres of jaggery juice were seized in Karmapalli, Raikal mandal of Jagtial district.

While conducting vehicle checking at Bhupathipur crossroad of Raikal mandal on November 8, excise police found two persons carrying 80 kg of jaggery on a bike. Residents of Mutyanaik thanda, they were shifting the jaggery to Oddelingapur from Raikal.