Spurious liquor claims 231 lives in Odisha over past 27 yrs, assembly told

As many as 231 people died after consuming spurious liquor in Odisha in 27 years between 1992 and 2019, Excise Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan informed the assembly on Saturday.

In a written reply to a question of Congress MLA Nilamadhab Hikaka, the minister said the highest number of 134 people died after consuming hooch in Cuttack district in 1992.

He said 41 people of Tukulipada in the then Bhubaneswar & Cuttack district lost their lives after drinking such liquor in 2012.

The minister said spurious liquor also claimed 20 lives in Puri in 2001, 19 in Ganjam district in 2006, ten (three in Khurda & seven in Bolangir) in 2009 and seven in Bhadrak district in 2019.

Harichandan said that the government, at present, doesn't have any proposal to provide assistance and rehabilitation to people falling ill due to the consumption of hooch and those addicted to liquor.

A total of 433 country liquor (Mahua) shops are operating in Odisha and the government has collected Rs 227 crore in revenue from those outlets during the current financial year, which is 9 per cent of the total revenue collected from liquor sales in the state, he stated.

The government has provided licenses to 490 country liquor depots for production of pouches and about 23 crore litre of Mahua liquor produced in Odisha during 2023-24.

Meanwhile, the toll due to alleged hooch tragedy in Chikiti area of Ganjam district rose to three after another person died on Saturday morning.

This issue was raised by BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik during the zero hour.

Mallik demanded the resignation of the Excise Minister on moral grounds. She also sought a statement from the government in the Assembly.