Naveen asks Chidambaram to expedite prez assent to excise bill
PTI | 09:02 PM,Feb 14,2012Bhubaneswar, Feb 14 (PTI) Unable to take strong action against the bootleggers in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today appealed to the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to expedite Presidential assent to the Odisha Excise Bill, 2005. Patnaik spoke to Chidambaram over phone this evening and urged him to expedite the bill which was sent to the union home ministry in January, 2009. "Severeal reminders had been sent to the home ministry in this regard," a release issued by the chief minister's Office said. The chief minister's telephonic call to Chidambaram came in the wake of the recent hooch tragedy where 34 persons from Khurda and Cuttack districts died. The proposed legislation seeks to replace the Bihar and Odisha Excise Bill-1915. "It contains provisions for establishment of excise stations, trial of excise offenders in special courts and forfeiture of property belonging to bootleggers, official sources said. Meanwhile, the state government today shifted the State Drugs Controller A P Dash a day after trasnfer of the excise commissioner. Dash had been posted as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at the health department. He was shifted after sizure of a large number of spurious cough syrup bottles of diffrent bransds containing methnol during joint raids of the police, excise and health department. The state government had earlier placed the assistant Drugs Controller Jyotirmayee Behera under suspension after the state forensic laboratory confirmed that a particular brand of cough syryp contained methyl alcohol. Besides, two excise sleuths were suspended following the hooch tragedy in the state.
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.
Disclaimer: Network18 Media & Investments Limited is proposing, subject to market conditions and other considerations, an offer of its equity shares on rights basis and has filed a Draft Letter of Offer with the Securities and Exchange Board of India. The Draft Letter of Offer is available on the website of SEBI at