BHOPAL: Taking a cue from Uttar Pradesh, the state government plans to enact a stringent law against illicit liquor trade in view of the recent hooch tragedies that have more than 37 lives during the last seven months.
Home minister Narottam Mishra on Wednesday said the government is studying the provisions and a law will be passed in the assembly during the upcoming monsoon session.
“There is a need to make stricter laws against illicit liquor trade. Like in UP, we will make it an offence under organised crime. After studying the provisions, we will enact a strict law against the illicit liquor mafia, may be in the upcoming monsoon session, if all goes well,” said Mishra, while replying to queries on deaths due to spurious liquor consumption in Mandsaur.
Mishra said, “We are keeping an eye on all the mafias in Indore and they will also face action. We have also instructed cops to keep a close watch on people who are indulging in illegal liquor business.”
The Yogi Adityanath-led UP government had made it clear that action against people involved in illicit liquor trade will be taken under Section 60 of the UP Excise Act and the Gangsters Act, which is punishable by death or life sentence.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had in October 2017 stated that his government will enact a stringent law, which would provide for the death penalty to tighten the noose around those involved in the illicit liquor trade. However, after BJP lost to Congress in the 2018 assembly polls, the decision to enact a stringent law against the liquor mafia is still pending.
“A law will be enacted to stop illicit liquor trade. A provision of capital punishment will be made under the law for those who are involved in trading of illicit liquor,” Chouhan had said while addressing a de-addiction programme .
Reacting to the Congress Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh’s remarks that excise minister Jagdish Devda should resign, Mishra said, “Umang Singhar (former Congress minister) had once alleged that if anyone is the biggest liquor mafia, it is Digvijaya ji”.
