Reported by Anita Singh in Timesofindia.indiatimes.com on Jul 18, 2012
NHAI cries go unheard as illegal liquor vends dot NH1 - The Times of India

PANIPAT: Break the law of the land, when it comes to revenue generation. This is the apparent policy of district excise and taxation department as well as district administration, who are allegedly ignoring missives from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), regarding removal of liquor vends falling under the latter's jurisdiction.

According to information provided by NHAI under Right to Information Act (RTI) to P P Kapoor, this has been happening for the past two years. Similarly, RTI information provided by district excise and taxation department (copy with TOI) expressed inability to remove the vends, saying that they were contributing Rs 13 crore per annum to the state exchequer.

RTI information provided by NHAI said that missives were sent to district administration as well as district SP for providing backup support by police force for demolishing 17 liquor vends, running in violation of NHAI Act.

All these structures are operating between 66 KM milestone and 96 KM milestone on NH 1.

"My idea of putting RTI query was to verify NHAI's claims as to what stops them from bringing down the structures of liquor vends. I was forced to take this route due to nuisance on roads and nearby areas on account of existence of liquor vends on both sides of Ambala-New Delhi national highway,'' said Kapoor.

The RTI information showed that NHAI had in April last year forwarded a list of 17 illegal vends and liquor shops to the then Panipat SP, Kapoor said.

"As repeated reminders sent to district police failed, NHAI project director had informed police chief, seeking help to bring down the structure on their own. The communication to police department was made after district administration and concerned department failed to act on NHAI requests, which began two years ago,'' Kapoor said, quoting the RTI reply.

Interestingly, when Kapoor moved another RTI application with the excise and taxation department regarding the validity of these structures and why the department had given them licenses, the assistant excise and taxation commissioner stated that the government gets a revenue or Rs 13 crore a year from these illegal liquor shops and thus, bringing these down would cost the state exchequer dearly.