Methanol Menace Triggers Reform, 'Rangla Punjab Society' Unveiled

In the wake of a deadly methanol-laced liquor tragedy that killed 23 people in Amritsar, the Punjab government has launched a dual-response strategy—seeking central regulation of methanol and creating the 'Rangla Punjab Society' to boost public and diaspora-driven development.

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ate action. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema spoke directly to the issue, labeling it not only a law and order failure but a systemic crisis that requires central intervention.

In a comprehensive letter written to Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Cheema called the series of hooch tragedies in India a "growing national crisis." He emphasized how methanol, usually in cheap availability with no effective regulatory control, is being increasingly abused to produce counterfeit liquor.

Because of its similarity to ethanol, methanol tends to pass undetected in quality inspections and is a deadly danger if ingested. The letter called for immediate central legislative intervention to close the loopholes.