17 people died in last few daysIn two incidents in northern Tamil Nadu, a month after spurious liquor was consumed, the state government informed the assembly that no poisoning tragedy had occurred in the past 14 years. As of Monday evening, 12 people have died in Villupuram district and five in Chengalpattu districtWhile 50 people have been admitted to the hospital. The development is surprising as data (2016-21) from the Union Home Ministry and the National Crime Records Bureau show that deaths due to illicit or spurious liquor have been largely controlled. According to central officials, Tamil Nadu did not report any deaths during 2016 to 2019; 20 in 2020 and six in 2021. Furthermore, the state has safeguards in place to prevent such tragedies. Since 2002, methanol, which is believed to be the main reason behind hooch tragedies, has been brought under the purview of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act, 1937. The Tamil Nadu Denatured Spirit, Methyl Alcohol and Varnish (French Polish) Rules have also been amended. , 1959, to maintain control over the methanol supply. Troublingly, two recent examples point to an explicit use of methanol.
While the government is expected to investigate the causative factors, it is clear that there are administrative lapses. The availability of cheaper kadha as compared to that sold at Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (Tasmac) retail outlets is a matter of concern. This could have been dealt with if law enforcement officials including the police had monitored the movement of methanol. No wonder that many police officers have been suspended. Chief Minister MK Stalin, who visited both the districts on Monday, also announced a Crime Branch-CID probe. Apart from announcing a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to each family of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to each of those under treatment, the Chief Minister has left no room for debate on whether the concerned families should get financial assistance or not. Perhaps, he has moved on from the example set by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who last month announced a payment of ₹4 lakh to the family members of those who died in spurious spurious liquor incidents, following several deaths in East Champaran district Was. 2016. Till then, Mr. Kumar held against the award of any compensation. Such a stand was once in vogue in Tamil Nadu, as administrators were of the view that financial aid could encourage wrongdoers. It is time that the states develop a uniform and comprehensive policy to combat the menace of spurious or illicit liquor, besides sending a strong message to the law-enforcement agencies that there will be zero tolerance for illicit liquor.