Punjab: AAP govt tells SC that it’ll supply nation liquor in pouches as ‘wholesome substitute’ to keep away from Bihar-type hooch tragedies

On Thursday, December 15, the Supreme Court warned Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) authorities towards the looming risk of Bihar-type hooch tragedies. The Punjab authorities asserted that it has already applied all of the court docket instructions to verify the manufacture and gross sales of illicit liquor within the state. The Punjab authorities knowledgeable the Supreme Court that it has deliberate to introduce ‘country liquor’ as a ‘wholesome‘ substitute for unlawful liquor.

“Have you seen Bihar today? This is precisely what we want to avoid,” a Bench led by Justice MR Shah instructed the Punjab Government, referring to the hooch tragedy in Bihar’s Saran district, which claimed the lives of 39 folks.

Notably, on December 5, the Supreme Court rebuked the Bhagwant Mann-led authorities for inaction towards rampant manufacturing and gross sales of spurious liquor within the state. The high court docket famous that the federal government is just submitting instances however is just not taking additional motion and requested to repair accountability. 

Punjab authorities on Thursday submitted that it has issued a round that in case any unlawful ‘Bhattis’ manufacturing liquor is discovered, the native police officer shall be held accountable. Besides, consciousness campaigns are being performed to tell folks concerning the harms attributable to the consumption of spurious liquor. A reward of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh shall be given to the informers relying on the amount of illicit liquor seized.

The Punjab authorities supplied a weird resolution to avert Bihar-type Hooch tragedies. It instructed the Supreme Court that it has determined as a part of its new excise coverage to offer nation liquor having 40 per cent alcohol content material as a ‘healthy substitute’ to the illegally manufactured hooch.

“This liquor will be a healthy substitute for illegally made homemade liquor. “The field officers have been tasked with providing their requirement of 40-degree country liquor based on ground inputs so that the same can be made accessible in illicit liquor-prone areas in the near future,” learn an affidavit filed within the high court docket by the state excise and taxation division.

The Bench set the matter for additional listening to on February tenth, noting that it will monitor the case’s progress. “Let us see, we will monitor how it progresses,” the bench said.

The high court docket was listening to a petition towards a September 2020 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court disposing of a petition looking for the switch of some FIRs registered in Punjab with regard to the alleged sale and inter-state smuggling of spurious liquor to the CBI. The petition was dismissed by the excessive court docket after the state assured the petitioners that their considerations could be addressed and applicable actions could be taken.

The petitioners had referred to the August 2020 hooch tragedy in Punjab during which 112 folks had died after consuming spurious liquor. They claimed that unlawful ‘bhattis’ and liquor mafias flourished in Punjab.