Chandigarh, Oct 18 (IANS): The Excise Department in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh has seized 188,000 litres of illicit raw liquor and 50 litres of 'lahan' from Kangra district, Excise Commissioner Yunus said on Tuesday.

He said that the raw liquor was destroyed on the spot and drums, cans, etc, were taken over by the police. Fifty liters of 'lahan' were seized and an FIR has been registered.

This seizure came after an inspection conducted by the Excise Departments of Punjab and Himachal.

In another case, a team destroyed 22,000 litres of illicit liquor in Khara forest of Paonta Sahib tehsil in Sirmaur district. The liquor was filled in drums, tire tubes, and plastic vessels.

The Excise Commissioner said in view of the elections, no illegal liquor business would be allowed to flourish. The department has constituted a task force for checking the manufacturing and supply of illicit liquor. These teams would conduct surprise inspections under the Excise Act.

One such raid was carried out by the teams in different parts of the state on Monday, in which a large quantity of raw liquor was taken into possession and was destroyed.

The hill state will go to the polls for the 68-member Assembly on November 12.