In view of the elections, a meeting of excise officials of Chhattisgarh and Odisha was held

Mahasamund. In view of the upcoming Chhattisgarh Assembly elections in November 2023, the border coordination meeting of the excise officials of the border districts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha states was held on Wednesday through virtual medium. In the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Excise Divisional Flying Squad Raipur Animesh Netam, Deputy Commissioner Northern Division Odisha Rajendra Bothra and Bilaspur Deputy Commissioner Nohar Singh Thakur directed the departmental officers of both the states to work in coordination among themselves. During the election period, instructions were given from both the states to continuously monitor the check posts in the border areas.

Besides, instructions were given to establish effective control over illegal possession, sale and transportation of narcotics by conducting joint raids in these border areas. It was informed in the meeting that 48 hours before the end of voting on the date of upcoming assembly elections, all the liquor shops, bars, distilleries, bottling units, country liquor warehouses and foreign liquor warehouses in the state of Chhattisgarh will be closed. Along with this, 3 liquor shops of Jharsuguda district, 20 of Bargarh, 7 of Sundargarh and 5 of Nuapada district included in the border Northern Division of Orissa will also remain closed during this period. Due to Diwali festival being near, instructions were given to be more vigilant in this regard. Excise department officials from Raigarh, Sarangarh, Mahasamund, Gariaband, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sundargarh and Nuapada districts were present in the meeting.