Illegal Liquor Seized and Railway Canteen Hygiene Flagged in Thane

Thane district made headlines on two civic fronts this week: excise authorities intercepted over 400 boxes of Goa-manufactured liquor worth Rs 17 lakh and arrested one suspect in an enforcement drive against cross-border alcohol smuggling. Separately, Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske formally wrote to Central Railway urging action against the catering contractor at Thane railway station after commuters raised persistent complaints about hygiene and food safety standards at the station canteen.

Goa-Made Liquor Worth Rs 17 Lakh Seized in Thane Excise Drive

Thane excise authorities seized a large consignment of Goa-manufactured liquor worth approximately Rs 17 lakh, arresting one person in connection with the haul. The seized stock comprised 403 boxes in total — 393 boxes of country liquor and 10 boxes of Indian-made foreign liquor — all products manufactured for exclusive sale within Goa under that state's own liquor distribution system. Transporting and selling such liquor outside Goa is prohibited under state excise law, and the consignment was found being moved through Thane district for illicit sale in Maharashtra, where liquor prices are considerably higher than those in Goa. The significant price differential between the two states has long made cross-border alcohol smuggling an attractive enterprise for traffickers, and Thane, positioned along key road corridors connecting Maharashtra to Goa, has historically seen repeated enforcement actions of this nature. Excise officials said the operation was based on intelligence inputs gathered ahead of the seizure, and the team intercepted the consignment before it could be dispersed further into the local market. The arrested individual is in custody and is being questioned as investigators work to identify other parties involved in the supply chain. Authorities have indicated that the probe is ongoing, with the focus on tracing the broader network responsible for transporting the contraband liquor from its origin in Goa to its intended distribution points in Maharashtra. Officials described this as among the more significant hauls recorded in the district in recent months. [4]

🗳️ MP Mhaske Demands Central Railway Action on Thane Station Canteen

Shiv Sena member of parliament Naresh Mhaske has raised hygiene concerns with Central Railway authorities regarding the canteen operating inside Thane railway station, formally urging railway management to take firm action against the responsible catering contractor. Mhaske, who represents a constituency in the Thane district, brought the matter to Central Railway officials after commuters raised repeated complaints about the cleanliness and food safety standards maintained at the station facility. He alleged that the contractor has consistently failed to uphold the hygiene requirements stipulated under the terms of the catering agreement with the railway, and called for a thorough inspection of the premises without delay. The MP urged that if the inspection confirms violations, the authorities should levy appropriate penalties and, if necessary, terminate the contractor's agreement entirely to ensure better services for the travelling public. Thane station is one of the most heavily used commuter hubs in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, handling hundreds of thousands of daily passengers on Central Railway main line and trans-harbour services. Food safety and hygiene at busy suburban railway stations have been a recurring public concern across Maharashtra, and such lapses at a station of Thane's scale carry particular significance. Mhaske's formal parliamentary intervention is aimed at prompting an official and time-bound response from railway management. Central Railway has been asked to respond formally and initiate a physical inspection of the canteen facility at the earliest opportunity. [8]

Sources: [4] Deccan Herald · [8] Mid-day