<p></p><p>The excise department is in the process of sending a report to the government to step-up the process for changing the status of feni from country liquor to heritage drink. <br></p> <p>Top on its list is to standardize feni production to check adulteration as also to ensure that traditional distillers are not exploited as the market for feni expands. The excise department, along with some key feni stakeholders, has been trying to give a fillip to feni production during the last two years. It got a strong backing from the government when chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar, in his budget speech last week, announced that the Goa Excise Duty Act will be amended to change the labelling of feni.</p> <p>While it is a long-drawn process, excise commissioner Menino D’Souza said the whole process entails having a mechanism in place, and getting the feni policy backed by a legislation in place. <br></p> <p>D’Souza said the bigger idea is to protect all stakeholders. The excise department is likely to have three classifications. They will include traditional distillers who distill feni by using completely traditional means such as earthen vessels, those who distill feni through semi -traditional methods wherein use of plastic vessels is common to store liquor, and thirdly, those who have totally switched over to mechanized distilling. <br></p> <p>There are over 2,000 distillers in the state. D’Souza said their job also involves collecting data about the processes used by different stakeholders for distilling before standards are defined. The excise department is also thinking of appointing a consultant, said D’Souza. It appears actual work will take off only after there is a feni policy supported by a legislation in place. “We will have to either come out with a Feni Act, or amend the existing legislation with a page on feni,” he said. <br></p> <p>Currently, a few feni producers of feni are marketing the drink exclusively highlighting the unique quotient of feni. The excise commissioner pointed out that though feni is categorized along with other country liquors in the country, it is no doubt a unique spirit which goes through different processes before final results are achieved unlike other country liquors. Country liquors brewed by other states is mostly adulterated stuff, and lacks standardization, he said.<br></p><p></p>