Excise dept: K’ghar was never a ‘No Liquor Zone’

Navi Mumbai: The Raigad district excise superintendent, in a letter to a Kharghar resident and NCP leader Baliram Netke, has clarified that no formal order has ever been passed declaring the erstwhile Kharghar gram panchayat area a ‘No Liquor Zone (NLZ)’ under ‘prohibition’, reports Umesh K Parida. The erstwhile Kharghar gram panchayat had passed a resolution banning liquor sale, on February 7, 2005. In the absence of any formal order, liquor licenses were issued to two hotels earlier. The district excise superintendent further clarified that the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) administrative resolution dated November 28, 2022, also does not comply with the 2008 order of state government on imposing liquor ban at ward level under a civic body area. Hence anyone can apply for liquor license in Kharghar node. The third foreign liquor licence application was approved on September 1, 2022, and prompted a massive protest by political parties last month in the node. “Kharghar was never a NLZ, ie, under prohibition, as neither the erstwhile Kharghar gram panchayat nor the PCMC administrative resolution complied with due process.” PCMC commissioner Ganesh Deshmukh, deputy commissioner Ganesh Shete and PRO Varsha Kulkarni did not respond to TOI’s calls and text messages.