Just a Day After Announcing Dry Days, Cachar Administration Withdraws Liquor Closure Order

In a swift change of plans, the Cachar district administration has withdrawn its order directing all liquor outlets and excise establishments to remain closed on November 8 and 9 for Deepawali and Kali Puja celebrations. With the latest order, licensed liquor establishments across the district are now allowed to operate as usual on both days.

The reversal comes barely a day after District Magistrate Rahul Kumar Gupta, IAS, issued the original closure order on November 7 under Section 52(1) of the Assam Excise Act, 2000, as amended.

In the fresh order, issued in supersession of the earlier notification bearing Memo No. 658436-A, the District Magistrate stated that the closure directive had been cancelled and withdrawn with immediate effect.

The latest notification also makes it clear that all licensed premises across Cachar district can operate on November 8 and 9 as per their usual licence conditions and the existing provisions of the Assam Excise Acts and Rules.

The earlier order had directed the closure of all Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and Country Spirit (CS) manufacturing units, wholesale warehouses and retail ‘ON’ and ‘OFF’ liquor outlets across Cachar. It had also prohibited the transportation, possession, sale and consumption of intoxicants in public places during the two-day period.

However, the planned two-day dry spell was called off at the very start of the first day, with the revised order issued before noon on November 8. The administration stated that the fresh order had been issued in public interest.

The revised notification was issued by the Office of the District Commissioner, Cachar, Silchar.

A similar revision has also been issued in Sribhumi district, where the administration has withdrawn the earlier order directing liquor outlets to remain closed on November 8 and 9 for Deepawali and Kali Puja. Following the fresh notification, all licensed liquor establishments in the district are permitted to operate as usual under existing licence conditions and excise rules.