176 deaths in 5 years but no avail

CM announces ₹10 lakh relief for victims’ families

- Ravinder Vasudeva

Several probe reports have suggested setting up of special Punjab Police wing to deal with sale and manufacturing of spurious liquor but to no avail

CHANDIGARH: Since 2020, Punjab has witnessed the deaths of over 170 individuals due to spurious liquor but it seems no lessons have been learnt by the authorities. On Tuesday, at least 21 people, mostly daily wagers, died and several others were hospitalised in Majitha.

Ten people, including the alleged kingpin, have been arrested. A year ago, 20 people lost their lives in a hooch tragedy in Sangrur. Here too the spurious liquor was made using methanol as a base and was manufactured locally.

Over the years, various probes and findings suggested course corrections but most of the reports have been consigned to the dustbin with the state administration only getting active after a tragedy.

In Sangrur's case, a fact-finding team comprising local officers conducted a probe and submitted a report.

The probe committee, headed by the Dirba SDM with the DSP, SHO, senior medical officer and an excise and taxation officer as its members, had studied the reason behind thriving illegal liquor business in the state.

It had recommended the creation of a separate 'wing' in the Punjab Police focused on curbing the manufacture and sale of illicit liquor. As per the report, this wing was to track bootlegging, especially in the border districts, the report had said.

These recommendations were neither discussed nor implemented.