Rs5,000 per month sought for each excise station

HYDERABAD: The excise department has sent a proposal to the state government seeking Rs 5,000 to each excise station towards their monthly expenditure.With lack of fund allotment towards the maintenance and stationary of excise stations, the field staff are facing a lot of problems and are unable to discharge their duties effectively. Officials said the government, at present, is providing `18 lakh per annum towards the expenditure of all excise stations in the state which is not sufficient even for a month adding that the proposal would be approved very soon.The excise officials said that they were also not getting their fuel, travel allowance and dearness allowance regularly adding there was no special fund allocation towards food for those arrested in illicit liquor cases and the staff had to spend money from their pockets.According to sources, there are 345 excise stations, 23 enforcement stations, 53 excise superintendent task force teams and eight state task force teams operating in the state.The officers and field staff brought the fund crunch issue to the notice of higher authorities and the excise commissioner has sent the proposal to the government, they added.