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Time of India
15-05-2025
- Time of India
Before Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Sangrur hooch tragedy probe panel called for strong central law to curb methanol use
Chandigarh: In a letter to the Union industry and commerce minister on Wednesday, following the Majitha hooch tragedy, sought the framing of supplementary legal provisions or a dedicated national law among other regulatory measures for methyl alcohol. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The recommendation came after the Majitha hooch tragedy, the toll of which has reached 27, and more than four months after a high-level committee of three senior IAS officers which probed the March 2024 hooch tragedy in Sangrur advocated for a "very strong central legislation". "Since hooch tragedies are being reported across different states, primarily due to methyl alcohol entering the ethyl alcohol supply chain, there is an urgent need for a strong central legislation," according to the report by Punjab chief secretary K A P Sinha, then excise commissioner Varun Roojam, and then additional chief secretary (industries) Tejveer Singh. The panel, formed in the aftermath of the March 2024 Sangrur incident, had strongly advocated for a national framework to regulate methanol production and distribution. The panel had also urged for dynamic and uniform enforcement mechanisms across states. In addition, the report called upon the Punjab health and family welfare department to implement the Punjab Poisons Possession and Sale Rules, 2014, framed under the Poisons Act, 1919, to curb methanol pilferage. A letter in this regard, TOI has learnt, was sent to the principal secretary of the department on Dec 30, 2024—days before the panel submitted its report to the state government. "These rules empower executive magistrates, police sub-inspectors and above, medical officers, and designated inspectors to inspect licensed premises selling poison, including methanol," the report stated. "There is an urgent need to properly regulate the through consistent district-level enforcement," the report added. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Two owners of a Ludhiana-based chemical factory, from where the methanol used in making spurious liquor in the Majitha incident was allegedly procured by the accused, were among the 16 arrests made by Punjab Police. Meanwhile, emphasising the need to ensure distinctly separate supply chains, the report also stated, "Niti Ayog has been recommending ramping up methyl alcohol production from 2 MT to 20 MT. Immediate action is thus warranted to ensure that methyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol supply chains are made distinctly separate and there is no scope of pilferage at any level at any point in time." It added, "Introduction of a legal regulatory framework for control over methanol can definitely go a long way in ensuring the implementation of strict surveillance and control measures to prevent the diversion of industrial methanol." As reported by the TOI on Thursday, the panel, among other things, also observed that there was a "need to enhance both the capabilities and accountability of police and excise enforcement wings to effectively combat illicit brewing. " MSID:: 121192060 413 |
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Time of India
Recommendations by panel formed to probe Sangrur hooch deaths ignored
Chandigarh: Less than five months after a committee of three IAS officers, which probed 20 deaths in Sangrur hooch tragedy, gave its observations and recommendations to stop such tragedies, the Majithia hooch tragedy has laid bare the government's response to stop recurrence of hooch deaths, and in the process, defeating the very purpose of the probe report of the panel, which included Punjab chief secretary K A P Sinha. The high-level committee report, a copy of which is with the TOI and which a senior government functionary said was submitted to the state government in the beginning of January, noted that "periodic occurrence of such tragedy even in 21st century across India in different states in definitely a matter of concern." It observed that there was a "need to enhance both the capabilities and accountability of police & excise enforcement wings to effectively combat illicit brewing". Referring to the Punjab health and family welfare department, it observed, "There is an urgent need of the hour to properly regulate Methyl Alcohol Supply chain by putting in place consistent enforcement mechanism at district level to avoid any leakage of Methanol from its supply chain." The report by Punjab chief secretary K A P Sinha, then excise commissioner Varun Roojam and then additional chief secretary (Industries) Tejveer Singh, also observed, "Intelligence- input gathering in the field is must for remaining one step ahead of the criminals. The Enforcement Wings of excise and police shall keep up-to-date information with specific regard to new methods of preparation of illicit liquor, sourcing methods of various inputs to checkmate nefarious designs of such criminals. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tired of Your 2BHK Looking the Same? HomeLane Get Quote Undo " Emphasising on co-ordination between excise and police departments, the high level-committee noted in the report, "The coordination among officers of excise and police department at all levels and especially at grassroot level is a pre-requisite for ensuring that such incidents do not occur again in future. There is dire need to put in place a mechanism to periodically discuss ongoing issues/cases, share information and resources in this endeavor at the district level." Significantly, the report also referred to March 27, 2023 orders of Supreme Court while disposing off a special leave petition in which Punjab was a respondent, and reproduced the court order which read, "The State of Punjab is directed to continue the steps to stop the illegal manufacture and transportation of spurious liquor and to stop the illegal Bhatthis. As reported earlier, the local police shall be held responsible in any illegal Bhatthi in their area is found. The state is directed to act accordingly." The counsel appearing for the petitioner, former MLA Tarsem Jodhan, who had approached court alleging large scale illegal liquor manufacturing and sale in Punjab, had submitted that the investigations in the "earlier incidents" were not in the right directions and no further action was taken against the "real culprit, who actually manufactured and supplied the spurious liquor". The high level committee report noted, "Above orders of Supreme Court of India calls for bigger role of police department to root out the menace of illegal manufacture and transportation of spurious liquor and to stop the illegal bhatthis as rightly observed by the Apex Court." Notably, in August 2020, in one of the major hooch tragedies in Punjab, as many as 120 persons had lost lives after consuming the spurious liquor in Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur districts when Congress was at the helm of affairs in Punjab and Captain Amarinder Singh (who is now in BJP) was the chief minister. Then Congress MPs in Rajya Sabha Shamsher Singh Dullo and Partap Singh Bajwa (who is now leader of the opposition in Punjab) had put under scanner the functioning of Amarinder-led government in Punjab at that time over one of the worst hooch tragedy in the state. Dullo told the TOI on Tuesday, "I have been seeking action against illegal distilleries for long. But successive governments have failed to take action. Had any action taken after the 2020 hooch tragedy, the subsequent incidents could have been averted. But, there is political-police nexus."
