The Uttarakhand Excise Department, following directives from Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, carried out raids on more than 100 liquor shops across the state. According to an official release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the operation, conducted by teams from the administration and the excise department, took place on Tuesday and caused significant alarm among the contract operators.
"The raids were conducted after complaints were received by the Chief Minister against overpricing and liquor smuggling in various regions," said the release.
In response to these complaints, Chief Minister Dhami instructed the administration and excise department to take strict action against those found guilty. According to the official release, the raids were carried out on Tuesday across several districts, including Pithoragarh, Almora, Nainital, Bageshwar, Udham Singh Nagar, Champawat, Haridwar, Dehradun, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, and Pauri Garhwal.
Chief Minister Dhami instructed that shops found guilty of overpricing or failing to maintain proper stock and sales registers will be sealed, the authorities said "overpricing and liquor smuggling will not be tolerated in the state." Uttarakhand CM also instructed the teams to conduct periodic raids in future and continue taking strict measures to curb illegal activities in the liquor market.