Organization:Kerala Excise

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Short description: Law enforcement agency for excise and narcotics control in Kerala, India

Kerala Excise
കേരള എക്സ്സൈസ്
AbbreviationK.E
Mottoജാഗരൂഗ്, ബലിഗ്രാഹ്

"Jagaroog Baligrah"
"Astute in actions and devoted to the betterment of the nation"

പ്രവര്‍ത്തനങ്ങളില്‍ സൂക്ഷ്മബുദ്ധിയുള്ളതും രാജ്യത്തിന്റെ ഉന്നമനത്തിന് ആത്മാര്‍പ്പണം ചെയ്തതും(Malayalam)
Agency overview
FormedNovember 30, 1998
Annual budget₹566.89 crore (US$79 million)(2026–27, revised) [1][2]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionKerala, India
Jurisdiction of Kerala Excise
Size38863 km2 (15005 sq mi)
Population34,630,192
Legal jurisdictionState of Kerala
Operational structure
HeadquartersExcise Commissionerate, Vikas Bhavan P.O Nandhavanam], Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala – 695033

Map of Kerala Excise Department's jurisdiction. The map on left shows Kerala in India and on right shows the State with Thiruvananthapuram district in red
Minister responsible
  • M. Liju, Minister for Excise and Cooperation, Government of Kerala
Agency executive
  • Seeram Sambasiva Rao, IAS, Excise Commissioner
Parent agencyTaxes Department, Government of Kerala
Units
Website
https://www.keralaexcise.gov.in/ KeralaExcise

The Kerala State Excise is the law enforcement agency for excise and narcotics in state of Kerala, India. Kerala Excise has its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital, and is headed by the Excise Commissioner.[3] The department administers laws related to liquor, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, medicinal preparations containing alcohol and narcotics. The current commissioner of Excise is Seeram Sambasiva Rao IAS.[4] The Excise Commissioner reports to the Excise Minister of Kerala, who serves as the chief executive of the department. The Kerala Excise Academy and Research Centre, Thrissur trains the excise officers and that runs full-term basic courses for Excise Inspectors, Excise Preventive Officers, Civil Excise Officers, Women Civil Excise Officers and Excise Drivers.[5] Established under the provisions of the Kerala Abkari Act, 1077 (Act 6 of 1077), the department plays a crucial role in regulating and controlling the production, distribution, and consumption of alcoholic beverages and other intoxicating substances and the enforcement of the NDPS Act within the state of Kerala. It is one of the Government of Kerala's three major revenue-collecting departments.[6]

Duties

The principal duties of the department are protection, augmentation and collection of excise revenue and enforcement of the above acts and various rules made there under. The department prevents leakage of revenue, and exerts effective control on the abuse of liquor and intoxicating drugs. The duties of the department are broadly classified as collection of revenue, enforcement activity to prevent illicit liquor production, sale and trafficking and Campaign against alcoholism. Liquor includes spirits of wine, arrack, spirits, wine, toddy, beer and all liquid consisting of or containing alcohol. Individual has no fundamental right over the manufacture and trade of liquor. Absolute right on liquor is vested with the state. The government formulates Abkari policy of the state every year. The policy formulated by the state government is implemented by the Excise Department.[7]

Organizational structure

The Kerala Excise Department is headed by the Excise Commissioner, an IAS officer holding a position equivalent to that of a Secretary to Government.[8] The Excise Commissioner is assisted by Additional Excise Commissioners in charge of administration and enforcement, as well as the Excise Vigilance Officer, who oversees vigilance functions. The Excise Commissioner reports to the Minister for Excise and the Additional Chief Secretary (Taxes) at the government level. The post was previously held by Indian Police Service (IPS) officers until a Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order transferred it to the IAS cadre[9][10]

Joint Excise Commissioners head the zonal offices and various specialized units of the department, including the Excise Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, Excise Crime Branch, Internal Audit Wing, Awareness Wing, State Excise Academy, and Excise Crime Records Bureau.[11]

For the convenience of administration, the State of Kerala is divided into three zones headed by joint excise commissioners.

  • South Zone with headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram
  • Central Zone with headquarters at Ernakulam
  • North Zone with he quarters at Kozhikode

Fourteen excise divisions come under the above three zones which are coterminous with the 14 revenue districts of the state, headed by deputy excise commissioners. In each division there is an assistant excise commissioner for supervision of enforcement activities. Each division is further divided into excise circles, which are co-terminus to the revenue taluk of the state under the control of circle inspectors of Excise. Each circle comprises one or more excise ranges, which are the micro level unit of the Excise Department and the primary enforcement unit headed by excise inspectors.[11][12]

Hierarchy

Officers

  • Excise Commissioner
  • Additional Excise Commissioner
  • Joint Excise Commissioner
  • Deputy Excise Commissioner
  • Assistant Excise Commissioner
  • Excise Circle Inspector
  • Excise Inspector
  • Assistant Excise Inspector
  • Preventive Officer
  • Civil Excise Officer
  • Excise Driver

Ranks and insignia

Kerala Excise Department Officers Insignia[13]
Gazetted Officers[14]
Insignia No insignia No insignia
File:Deputy Excise Commissioner rank insignia (Kerala).png
File:Assistant Excise Commissioner rank insignia (Kerala).png
File:Excise Circle Inspector rank insignia (Kerala).png
Rank Excise Commissioner

(IAS Ex Cadre)

Additional Excise Commissioner

(Ex Cadre)

Joint Excise Commissioner Deputy Excise Commissioner Assistant Excise Commissioner Excise Circle Inspector
Abbreviation EC Addl. EC JEC DEC AEC ECI
Non-Gazetted Officers[14]
Insignia
File:Assistant Excise Inspector Rank Insignia (Kerala Excise).png
(Shoulder sleeve)
(Shoulder sleeve)
(Sleeve insignia) 		No insignia No insignia
Rank Excise Inspector Assistant Excise Inspector Preventive Officer Civil Excise Officer Excise Driver
Abbreviation EI AEI PO CEO Dvr.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Revised Demands for Grants 2026–27 (Report). Government of Kerala. p. 20–21. https://budget.kerala.gov.in/keralabudgetdoc/2026_27_REV/dbe/RevisedDemandsforGrantseng.pdf. Retrieved 28 June 2026. 
  2. ↑ https://budget.kerala.gov.in/portal/home
  3. ↑ Service, Express News (2026-03-07). "CAT: Kerala Excise commissioner post only for IAS officers" (in en). https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2026/Mar/07/cat-kerala-excise-commissioner-post-only-for-ias-officers. 
  4. ↑ Daily, Keralakaumudi. "Govt appoints Sreeram Sambasiva Rao as excise commissioner" (in en). https://keralakaumudi.com/en/kerala/general/govt-appoints-sreeram-sambasiva-rao-as-excise-commissioner-1756736. 
  5. ↑ "Excise Offices in Kozhikkode". http://www.keralaexcise.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62&Itemid=68. 
  6. ↑ "Source of Income". Finance Department, Government of Kerala. https://budget.kerala.gov.in/reports/sourceofincome. 
  7. ↑ "Acts and Rules". http://www.keralaexcise.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=53. 
  8. ↑ Service, Express News (2026-03-07). "CAT: Kerala Excise commissioner post only for IAS officers" (in en). https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2026/Mar/07/cat-kerala-excise-commissioner-post-only-for-ias-officers. 
  9. ↑ "Kerala govt appoints IAS officer through ex-cadre post, leaving excise cadre post vacant". The Times of India. 2026-06-03. ISSN 0971-8257. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/kerala-govt-appoints-ias-officer-through-ex-cadre-post-leaving-excise-cadre-post-vacant/articleshow/131470282.cms. 
  10. ↑ S, Shan A. (2026-03-14). "ADGP Ajith Kumar removed as excise commissioner over recent CAT ruling" (in en). https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2026/Mar/14/adgp-ajith-kumar-removed-as-excise-commissioner-over-recent-cat-ruling. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "About the Department". http://www.kerala.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=70:excise-department&id=1052:the-organization-excise&Itemid=2257. 
  12. ↑ "Preventive Officers". http://www.keralaexcise.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=88&Itemid=94. 
  13. ↑ https://keralaexcise.gov.in/en/hiearchy/
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Kerala Excise and Prohibition Service Rules". https://keralaexcise.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/uniform-rule.pdf. 

Further reading

Template:State agencies of Kerala



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