Goa perturbed by Maharashtra's embargo on its liquor

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Goa

Liquor, indigenous or otherwise, is a major source of income for the sunshine state of Goa. Hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting Goa return home with a limited number of liquor bottles, either for personal use or as a souvenir or gift.

But those who opt to leave Goa by road towards Bombay and Pune are facing unexpected harassment from Maharashtra excise officials. Despite the legal permit for personal consumption issued by the Goa excise department, the bottles are forcibly confiscated and smashed at the Maharashtra excise check-post at Insuli, Sawantwadi. Over 40 buses and hundreds of private vehicles cross the check-post every day.

The excise officials have been harassing passengers on the grounds that Goan liquor cannot enter Maharashtra. But Goan liquor has been transported through Maharashtra to other legally permitted states for many years now.

The allegedly illegal practice, which began 25 days ago, does not quote any legal provision or honour the permits issued by the Goa government. Investigations revealed that the actual reason behind this unexpected behaviour was an anti-corruption bureau raid on Insuli checkpost on December 21 which caught excise officials forcibly collecting money and liquor bottles from passengers.

In retaliation, excise officials have begun harassing the passengers by breaking all liquor bottles, instead of taking legal action or conducting a panchnama. And thousands of tourists returning from Goa during this peak season are facing the brunt of their action.

"Is this the way the responsible officials behave?" fumed former Goa minister Ashok Naik Salgaonkar who operates a number of buses on this route. "Isn't this dadagiri a violation?" Salgoankar has filed his protest before the Maharashtra excise commissioner.

"We expect our neighbours to respect our law. Any problems they have can be sorted out across the table. Why should innocent passengers be harassed?" asks Goa's Excise Commissioner J B Singh. He feels the Maharashtra government should have officially taken up the matter with its Goan counterpart if it did not want to allow Goan liquor to pass through its territory. "If you find our law arbitrary, tell us to amend it," he says. "Aren't we living in one country?"

Goa Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane, who also heads the excise and finance department, says he will take up the issue with his Maharashtra counterpart.

A spokesman for the Goa government described the harassment of tourists as illegal and anti-national. He accused the Maharashtra excise department of undermining Goa's reputation as a major tourist centre. "The two bottles allowed to each tourist are not meant for business, trade or commerce. Besides, if the Karnataka government has no objections to Goan liquor being brought into their state, why should the excise officials from Maharashtra adopt such a vindictive attitude?" he asks.

According to the local excise department, Goa received about million tourists per year. About five per cent purchase liquor permits and the state thus earns about Rs 2 million by way of excise duty on permits.

The Goan government is also perturbed over complaints that motorists visiting Goa are harassed by Maharashtra road transport authorities. This matter will be taken up with Maharashtra Transport Minister Pramod Navalkar, the spokesman said.