Bhubaneswar: A Revenue Divisional Commissioner-level (RDC) probe will be initiated into hooch tragedy and it will submit a report in 2 months, Excise Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan informed on Thursday.
“Chief Minister Mohan Majhi will soon make an announcement in this regard and a RDC-level probe will be instituted in a day or two. We will crack down on illicit liquor trade. Raids are being carried across the state since August 20, 217 illegal liquor kilns have been identified and those would be bulldozed. While 117 people have been arrested from different districts and fermented alcohol (pocha) are being destroyed,” the Minister told reporters.
Interestingly, RDC (southern range) post is lying vacant since July 25 after R S Gopalan was transferred. On Wednesday evening, the state government appointed Roopa Roshan Sahoo as RDC, Berhampur, but she is yet to join. The minister announced a RDC probe when actually the post is vacant.
Harichandan also informed that Berhampur Excise Inspector Ramesh Chandra Mohanty and SI Prasanna Kumar Dhali have been suspended and Berhampur Excise Superintendent Pradeep Panigrahi transferred.
He added that the government would ensure that there are no illegal liquor kilns in the state.
The announcement came as hooch tragedy, which claimed two lives in Ganjam district, found its echo in the state Assembly for the second consecutive day, forcing Speaker Surama Padhy to adjourn the proceedings of the House till 4 pm.
The BJD had been demanding a probe by the RDC into incident and resignation of the Minister while pointing out that this was happening despite BJP’s manifesto promise of “Nisha Mukt Odisha” (intoxication-free Odisha). “During Naveen Patnaik regime, the BJD ministers, including Kalindi Behera and AU Singhdeo, had immediately resigned following hooch deaths,” party whip Pramila Mallick asserted.
The regional party has also sent a fact-finding team led by its MLA and former minister Niranjan Pujari to Chikiti, where over 20 people fell ill after allegedly consuming spurious liquor.
On the other hand, Congress MLA Tara Bahunipati accused the BJD and BJP government of being in cahoots over illegal liquor smuggling. “Both, BJD and BJP have always backed liquor mafias. Until some serious steps are not taken, illicit liquor sale will continue not only in Ganjam but entire Odisha,” he said.
