Chandigarh, Dec 8 (IANS): A meeting of Excise officials of Punjab Police was conducted here on Thursday to boost joint operations of Excise Department and police against the illicit liquor trade, besides creating awareness among the public against the menace, officials said.

AIG, Excise and Taxation, Gurjot Singh Kaler said discussions were held during the meeting to further sensitise the excise police about the seriousness of ongoing excise issues, improve the coordination between the police and excise officials, speed up the ongoing investigations and make excise police hi-tech to meet new challenges, besides issuing necessary instructions to the officials concerned as per the guidelines of Excise Commissioner Varun Roojam.

Kaler said during the meetings instructions have been issued that the excise police should not carry out a raid without accompanying an employee or officer of the Excise Department, on the pattern of district police, all excise police in-charges shall post a duty officer above the rank of head constable daily for 24 hours and record his entry in the diary and four to five policemen shall always be present in the office for emergency duty.

He said the excise police officials have been asked to share information regarding any major update in high-profile cases with the headquarters.

Stressing on the need to sensitise the common man against the illicit liquor trade for realising the Rangla Punjab mission of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led government, Kaler said the Excise Department and the excise police would soon launch an awareness campaign against it.