Violation of Law Under the Guise of a Newspaper Will Not Be Tolerated: Punjab Government
Chandigarh: Serious violations of excise, environmental and labour laws found; press freedom protected, but law applies equally to all The Punjab Government on Thursday outright rejected the allegations of “targeted action” levelled by the Punjab Kesari Group, stating that such claims are an attempt to divert attention from serious and well-documented legal violations that surfaced during statutory inspections. The government said that multiple regulatory authorities, acting within their respective jurisdictions, have recorded clear violations, and taking action in such cases is a legal obligation.
According to the government, while the group is highlighting a list of inspections and actions, it is deliberately ignoring the reasons, findings and outcomes of those actions, all of which are clearly mentioned in official inspection reports, statutory notices and reasoned orders. The government clarified that the issue has nothing to do with journalism, advertisements or editorial views, but is based on concrete evidence available on official record.
Explaining the excise action at Park Plaza, Jalandhar, the government said it was not a routine inspection but the outcome of a formal investigation. During the probe, more than 800 liquor bottles were seized from unauthorised locations. Several bottles were found without mandatory excise holograms and QR codes. Most seriously, expired draft beer, unfit for human consumption, was served to customers for several days. These facts are recorded in a written excise order passed after issuing a show-cause notice, granting a personal hearing, examining records and considering admissions made by the licensee.
The inspection revealed that 815 bottles on the first floor and 140 bottles on the ground floor were stored at unauthorised places, in direct violation of Rule 37(2) of the Punjab Liquor License Rules, 1956. Possession and sale of liquor without labels, holograms and QR codes constitutes a serious offence, and “ignorance” cannot be accepted as a defence under any circumstances, the government said.
The Punjab Government further clarified that the action was not limited to excise violations alone. Inspections conducted by the Punjab Pollution Control Board revealed serious environmental and public health violations at the hotel. Chemicals used in the laundry were being discharged directly onto land and into the sewer without any treatment, posing a risk to groundwater. Despite the expiry of the mandatory “Consent to Operate,” the hotel continued operations without valid permission. The sewage treatment plant and effluent treatment plant were found non-functional, and untreated sewage and wastewater were being discharged directly into the municipal sewer.
Violations of the Hazardous Waste Management Rules and Solid Waste Management Rules were also recorded, including failure to maintain records, lack of safe storage and improper waste disposal. The government said these were not mere technical lapses, but serious violations posing direct threats to public health, groundwater and the environment.
In addition, inspections by the Labour and Factories Department at printing units linked to the group revealed multiple violations of labour laws and safety standards. Units in Jalandhar and Ludhiana were found with blocked fire exits, unsafe machinery, expired fire-fighting equipment, poor record-keeping and unsafe working conditions.
Reiterating its stand, the Punjab Government said enforcement of excise, environmental and labour laws cannot be stopped in the name of press freedom. “In today’s Punjab, the law applies equally to all. Editorial freedom will be protected, but violations that endanger public health, workers or the environment will not be ignored,” the government said.
