Guwahati, Mar 26 (IANS): With the three-phase elections for the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam coming closer, the Election Commission (EC) has asked the retail and the wholesale liquor vendors to maintain daily stocks and sales records to prevent liquor's misuse in elections.

"The vendors have to show the sales and stock positions against each of the items like Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), beer and country liquor," said an official here on Monday.

A senior official of the state Excise Department said liquor vendors, both retail and wholesale, have been asked to report this year's opening stock position, closing stock position and total sales on a daily basis along with the same data recorded last year.

The Excise Department has taken many steps to ensure strict implementation of the EC directives.

In Assam, there are two distilleries, two breweries, 18 IMFL bottling plants, 79 wholesale warehouses and 2,084 sellers with retail licence.

In case of country liquor, there are nine producers, 44 wholesale warehouses and 539 licenced retailers.

The 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam will go to the polls on April 11, April 18 and April 23.