Issue of deaths due to spurious liquor raised in House

 

 

The Chhattisgarh State Assembly was on the boil after Narayan Chandel raised the issue of deaths from spurious liquor in Janjgir-Champa even as other Opposition MLAs cornered the government on the issue of liquor prohibition. Chandel claimed three men including an Indian Army soldier died after drinking spurious liquor. He informed that Army soldier Nandlal and two civilians Satish and Purushottam Sahu died of spurious liquor. He also said that a congress worker was selling spurious liquor in the village of Rogda, where the deaths happened. Also, another man Satyendra Banjare also died after drinking spurious liquor in the Akaltara region. Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma dismissed the allegations of spurious liquor, saying that one of the men died by consuming poison while the Army soldier died after taking medicines. Similarly, other men also died by consuming medicines.

 

This issue of liquor prohibition was raised by former minister and MLA Brijmohan Agarwal and Renu Jogi. Brijmohan Agarwal and Renu Jogi asked Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma and reminded him of the manifesto and an attempt was made to corner the government on the question of not prohibiting liquor in the state even after four and a half years. BJP MLAs created a ruckus when they were not satisfied with the reply of Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma. Both the MLAs sought information about the efforts made to prohibit liquor in the state and the expenditure incurred in this effort even after the announcement of liquor prohibition by the Congress in its manifesto. Responding to Brijmohan Agrawal’s question, Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma said that a political committee, administrative committee and social committee have been constituted for the prohibition of liquor in State.

 

Notably, from the year 2019, meetings were held for the prohibition of liquor continuously and in the year 2023, the members and officials of the committee went on a study tour to the states of Gujarat and Bihar to get information about the excise policy there. The excise minister said that Rs 15,94,379 was spent on this study tour. On the question of liquor prohibition, Kawasi Lakhma replied that after studying the excise policy of other states, the report will be presented to the government, according to the recommendations of the committees, a decision will be taken regarding the implementation of complete liquor prohibition in State. After this reply of Kawasi Lakhma, there was a lot of uproar by the opposition in the House.