Cheema writes to Centre, calls for strict laws on methanol supply
Chandigarh : Punjab finance, excise and taxation minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday urged the central government to take immediate action to regulate the use of methyl alcohol (methanol) under Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951.
In a letter to Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal, Cheema highlighted the repeated incidents of mass casualties caused by the consumption of spurious liquor, linked to the clandestine use of methanol and underscored the serious regulatory vacuum. He said the physical appearance, odour and sedative properties of methanol closely resemble those of ethyl alcohol, making it a silent killer when diverted into the illicit liquor supply chain.
Cheema's request comes in the wake of 23 deaths in Punjab's Amritsar district due to spurious liquor. Initial investigations had revealed the use of methanol in the brew.
The AAP minister pointed out that despite the central government's powers to regulate industrial alcohol under the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, methyl alcohol continues to fall into a grey area, leading to systematic failures in monitoring and compliance.
He stressed that the present legal framework does not sufficiently address the supply chain vulnerabilities of this substance, nor does it mandate tracking mechanisms, registration of buyers, or cross-state regulation.
Cheema urged the central government to treat the regulation of methanol as a matter of national interest, demanding centralised, legally enforceable action. He recommended immediate amendment of the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, to explicitly include methyl alcohol as a regulated industry/substance, along with the issuance of specific and binding rules or notifications to regulate its manufacture, possession, sale, storage, and movement.
The minister also suggested implementing a central mandate to track and trace the movement of methanol, including barcoding or electronic tracking, and compulsory registration of buyers and strict documentation of usage. He sought framing of supplementary legal provisions or a dedicated national law, establishing a uniform enforcement framework across all states and UTs.
He also expressed hope that the central government will respond to this pressing matter of national urgency with the seriousness it deserves.
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