Gurgaon: Customs has suspended the licences of seven liquor warehouse operators at Garhi Harsaru inland container depot (ICD), citing deficiencies in statutory compliance and ordering a wider check of their records, financial standing, govt dues and fire-safety credentials.The action is significant because the ICD is a key cargo gateway for the city’s industrial belt. Located opposite Garhi Harsaru railway station on Pataudi Road, it functions as a dry port where import and export containers can undergo Customs clearance before being moved to or from seaports by road or rail. Any restrictions affecting operations at the facility can therefore have a knock-on effect on the movement and clearance of cargo, particularly for businesses dependent on the Gurgaon-Manesar industrial corridor.The seven operators are Discovery Alcobev Pvt Ltd, Glenview Spirits, MJ International Spirits, Alliance Breweries Company Pvt Ltd, Lake Forest Wines, Imperial Sales and Dolphin Hardwares Pvt Ltd. The action against them came after compliance reports submitted by the Garhi Harsaru office flagged deficiencies.An ICD allows importers and exporters in landlocked industrial areas to complete several port-related formalities closer to their businesses instead of moving containers directly to a seaport for clearance. Garhi Harsaru’s rail-road connectivity and proximity to major manufacturing clusters make it an important logistics link for the Gurgaon-Manesar industrial belt, which has a large concentration of automobile and auto-component companies.While the present action is against seven liquor warehouse operators and does not amount to a shutdown of the ICD, any operational disruption involving licensed warehouses at the facility could affect the handling, storage or clearance of cargo associated with them. The wider significance of the action, therefore, lies in the fact that it concerns a facility through which cargo serving a major industrial cluster moves.In an Aug communication to the deputy commissioner of ICD Garhi Harsaru, the assistant commissioner (RC), ICD Patparganj, and other ICDs directed the local office to verify the statutory records, returns and solvency of all seven firms. The exercise will establish whether any customs duty, interest, penalty, fine or other govt dues remain unpaid.The scrutiny will also cover any adjudication, audit objection, enforcement action or other proceedings pending against the companies under the Customs Act and related rules and regulations. Customs has separately ordered verification of the fire-safety certificates submitted by the warehouse operators. The assistant divisional fire officer or fire station officer has been asked to independently establish their genuineness and validity.The Garhi Harsaru office must submit an action taken report with its findings, after which Customs will decide the further course of action. The latest move follows communications issued on May 8 and July 14 on monitoring warehouse licences.
