The Punjab excise department announced Monday that it has hired IIT-Ropar to conduct an audit of liquor manufacturing units in the state, a move aimed at investigating any theft.
The excise department worked with an independent agency – the Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar – to review and audit the work systems of the liquor manufacturing units, which include 16 distilleries, four breweries and 25 bottlers, according to a department spokesman.
These units make extra neutral alcohol (ENA), denatured alcohol, foreign liquor made in India, Punjab medicines and beer, he said. The structural arrangement of the units and the piping for the transport of extra neutral alcohol, denatured alcohol and rectified alcohol must strictly comply with excise tax laws, the official said.
Recently, mass flow meters have been installed in all distilleries, bottling plants and breweries to accurately measure the amount of ENA and other spirits. The purpose of the layout audit is to check whether the facility and various structures built in it conform to the site plan approved by the department, said the spokesman, with the pipelines in the manufacturing units also being checked.
The audit will go a long way towards ensuring compliance at the manufacturing level and preventing ENA from being stolen, thereby protecting the state’s revenue, he said.
