Issuance of licences: House seeks explanation

The parliamentary Committee on Ways and Means had asked for an explanation from the Excise Department regarding its failure to provide a list of companies and individuals who owned more than one liquor licence in one administrative district, parliament sources said.

When the House Committee raised the issue, the Excise Department officials appearing before the MPs claimed that according to their database no company or individual owned more than one license. The committee directed the Excise Department to furnish its response in writing.

The all-party committee also pointed out that the Excise Department was yet to implement the directive to increase the extension of license to Rs 10 mn.