Legal Action Warned Against Village Officials Over Illicit Liquor Reporting Failure
By Sunil Patil
Pursuant to the provisions of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, 1949, the unauthorized manufacture, possession, sale, transport, or operation of an illicit liquor distillery (hand-bhatti) constitutes a punishable offense. The statute prescribes statutory penalties ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹50,000 in fines, alongside rigorous imprisonment spanning from three months to three years. Under Section 134 of the said Act, specific local authorities—namely the Sarpanch, Gram Sevak, Police Patil, and Talathi—are legally mandated to report comprehensive information to the administration regarding individuals engaged in illicit distillation, jaggery trading, raw material distribution, khandsari molasses supply, and the trafficking of contraband alcohol.
The State Excise Department, operating under the Government of Maharashtra, is administratively led by Sunetra Ajit Pawar as the Minister of State Excise, Dr. Rajesh Deshmukh as the Commissioner, and Dr. N. Ramaswami as the Secretary.
Statutory Accountability and Suspension of Remuneration
Village Police Patils receive a monthly government honorarium of approximately ₹15,000, supplemented by authorized duty allowances, while Sarpanches receive a monthly honorarium between ₹6,000 and ₹10,000, scaled according to village demographics. Talathis and Gram Sevaks are similarly remunerated through state allowances. Under Sections 133 and 134 of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, 1949, these officials bear an absolute statutory obligation to report illicit activities within their territorial jurisdiction to the competent authorities. District Collectors have issued a formal directive stating that non-compliance or failure to convey such actionable intelligence shall result in the immediate suspension of honorariums and the initiation of formal disciplinary proceedings.
Enforced Directives Following Public Safety Incidents
In the wake of recent toxic and spurious liquor tragedies in Pune, the Government of Maharashtra has enacted stringent regulatory orders to intensify enforcement actions against illegal hand-bhatti operations. Addressing public concerns regarding the timing of administrative action, the state executive has mandated unprecedented enforcement mechanisms to eradicate illegal production and distribution networks.
Under the newly issued administrative directives, the regulatory framework has been restructured to enhance oversight. Taluka-level monitoring committees will now be presided over by Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) instead of Tahsildars to ensure higher administrative accountability. Furthermore, the doctrine of vicarious responsibility will apply: if illicit liquor operations are detected within a jurisdiction, the concerned Police Station In-charge and the State Excise Inspector shall be held personally accountable and subject to departmental action.
Concurrently, reporting has been executed as a mandatory duty for all designated village-level functionaries, where any omission will automatically trigger financial and disciplinary sanctions. To eliminate the production of hazardous or adulterated spirits at the source, the administration has placed the entire supply chain of essential raw materials—including jaggery, khandsari molasses, and industrial-grade methanol—under strict regulatory surveillance. The State Excise Department, in coordination with the Maharashtra Police, is presently executing a joint statewide enforcement campaign to ensure absolute compliance and eradicate illegal liquor operations.
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