From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jul 20: Karnataka’s Excise M P Renukacharya proposes to hold talks with Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamath to demand urgent steps for curbing the illegal transportation of liquor from the neighbouring State.

While declining to indicate a definite time-frame for the proposed meeting, he said issues related establishment of check-posts, deployment of manpower on border areas and sale of liquor on border areas would be discussed during the meeting with the Goa Chief Minister.

The minister said as many as 61 vehicles transporting liquor from Goa to Uttara Kannada had been seized and 297 cases were registered in 2010-11.

A total of 29,771 litres of liquor, 3465 litres of penny had been seized in 2010-11 against 29,026 litres of liquor and 15,975 litres of penny in 2009-10, he said adding: ``We must take urgent steps to put an end to this illegal flow of liquor from the neighbouring State.”

Renukacharya, who has been carrying out a systematic drive to curb the illicit liquor manufacture in the State as also the illegal transportation of liquor from neighbouring Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and to some extent from Kerala, said the Government intended to convene a meeting of senior officials of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh shortly.

There are 830 illicit liquor manufacturing centres in the State and efforts would be made to destroy them in the next two months, he said.

Asked about vacancies in the department, the minister said there 2323 vacant posts and the Finance Department had given approval for recruiting candidates for 100 posts.

A proposal has been submitted to the Finance Department seeking permission to fill another 150 posts, he said.