On Thursday, December 15, the Supreme Court warned Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government against the looming threat of Bihar-type hooch tragedies. The Punjab government asserted that it has already implemented all the court directions to check the manufacture and sales of illicit liquor in the state. The Punjab government informed the Supreme Court that it has planned to introduce ‘country liquor’ as a ‘healthy‘ substitute for illegal liquor.
“Have you seen Bihar today? This is precisely what we want to avoid,” a Bench led by Justice MR Shah told the Punjab Government, referring to the hooch tragedy in Bihar’s Saran district, which claimed the lives of 39 people.
Notably, on December 5, the Supreme Court rebuked the Bhagwant Mann-led government for inaction against rampant production and sales of spurious liquor in the state. The top court noted that the government is only filing cases but is not taking further action and asked to fix responsibility.
Punjab government on Thursday submitted that it has issued a circular that in case any illegal ‘Bhattis’ manufacturing liquor is found, the local police officer will be held accountable. Besides, awareness campaigns are being conducted to inform people about the harms caused by the consumption of spurious liquor. A reward of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh will be given to the informers depending on the quantity of illicit liquor seized.
The Punjab government offered a bizarre solution to avert Bihar-type Hooch tragedies. It told the Supreme Court that it has decided as part of its new excise policy to provide country liquor having 40 per cent alcohol content 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,” read an affidavit filed in the top court by the state excise and taxation department.
The Bench set the matter for further hearing on February 10th, noting that it would monitor the case’s progress. “Let us see, we will monitor how it progresses,” the bench stated.
The top court was hearing a petition against a September 2020 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court disposing of a petition seeking the transfer 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 high court after the state assured the petitioners that their concerns would be addressed and appropriate actions would be taken.
The petitioners had referred to the August 2020 hooch tragedy in Punjab in which 112 people had died after consuming spurious liquor. They claimed that illegal ‘bhattis’ and liquor mafias flourished in Punjab.
