Guwahati: The Assam Assembly on Wednesday gave its nod to the Assam Excise (Amendment) Bill 2018, making consumption of liquor in public places and indulging in unfair practices by those associated with liquor trade, punishable offences carrying jail terms.

The bill was tabled by excise minister Parimal Suklabaidya on February 6, the first day of the ongoing budget session, and was passed on Wednesday with amendments suggested by legislators, including those from the Opposition - Rupjyoti Kurmi and Nandita Das of the Congress and Hafiz Bashir Ahmed, Aminul Islam and M. Imdadul Hoque Chawdhury of the AIUDF.

Suklabaidya, a senior BJP leader from the Barak Valley, told The Telegraph on Wednesday evening that he is grateful to his fellow legislators for supporting the stringent amendments.

"We believe the new laws will not only check drunken brawl, hooliganism and accidents but will also help boost the excise department's annual revenue, which is around Rs 1,200 crore, by at least 20 per cent. Most importantly, it helps create a peaceful social environment as those drinking and dealing in liquor trade will become careful so as not to get caught by the law," Suklabaidya said.

Those who drink in public should be extra careful now, he said, as two new sections, 61-A and 61-B, have been inserted making consumption of alcohol in a public place punishable with fine up to Rs 50,000 or/and imprisonment up to six months. What is a "public place" has also been defined.

Suklabaidya said Section 36 of Excise Act 2000 has also been amended to define a clear procedure for recovery of dues from defaulters of excise revenue while Sections 53 (1), 54 and 55, which were bailable sections earlier, have been made non-bailable.

Section 53 (1) deals with matters relating to penalty for unlawful import, export, transport, manufacture, possession and sale. Violation will attract jail term up to three years and fine up to Rs 5 lakh.

Section 54 deals with unlawful possession in certain cases such as duty-evaded intoxicants. Conviction entails jail term up to three years and fine up to Rs 5 lakh.

Section 55 deals with penalty for altering or attempting to alter any denatured spirit that may be used for human consumption. Conviction for violation entails jail for up to five years and fine up to Rs 2 lakh.

A few other key features of the act are:

• Section 58-A, which deals with penalty for non-payment of duty or fee which has been newly inserted. Breach will entail jail term of up to three years with fine up to 300 per cent of the duty, fee or other levies due from the licence holders. Fine for breach of Section 58-B has been enhanced to up to Rs 5 lakh.

• Section 64-A has been inserted to make provision for offences by companies punishable.

Governor Jagdish Mukhi spoke at length against the ill-effects of liquor at a media interaction in Goalpara on Wednesday. "Young generation should know the severe and destructive effect of drinking wine which, according to Gandhi ji, not only harms physical wellbeing but also the soul."

Mukhi referred to his tenure as the lieutenant governor of the Andamans and the successful initiatives he had taken to curb drinking, but he favoured restrictions instead of a total ban so that society does not suffer.

Additional reporting by Sofiqul Ahmed