Govt attributes death of 9 people to consumption of spurious liquor in Bhadrak

Congress on Saturday upped the ante against the State government in the Assembly by holding it responsible for the hooch tragedy in Bhadrak district which claimed nine lives.

In his question, senior Congress leader Santosh Singh Saluja demanded a statement from the excise minister on the hooch tragedy.

Replying to the query raised by Saluja during the Question Hour in the State Assembly on Saturday, Excise Minister Aswini Patra attributed the death of nine persons to consumption of spurious liquor. 

Patra said “As many as nine persons had died in Bhadrak after consuming spurious liquor during election. So far 50 persons had died due to consumption of spurious liquor in the state. Similarly, the state witnessed 41 such deaths in Cuttack in the year 2011-12.”

BJD MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik said, “Ban of liquor is not the solution. If the state government completely bans liquor, smuggling of liquor will increase like anything. So, we should take measures so that liquor consumption will be decreased in the state.” 

Senior Congress leader Sura Routray said, “You can find liquor everywhere, be it liquor shop or betel shop, or any other shop. Besides, marijuana and brown sugar are being smuggled rampantly in the state. I have urged the government to put a curb on it.”

BJP leader Bishnu Sethi said, “Chief Minister Naveen Panaik is solely responsible for the hooch tragedy in Bhadrak.”