DEHRADUN: The commission formed to probe spurious alcohol deaths in February in Haridwar and in September in Dehradun submitted its report with total 20 recommendations including fixing responsibilities of officials of the Excise department.
The one member commission also stated practice of 'Zero Tolerance' over loss of lives due to sale and consumption of illicit liquor.
NS Napalchyal, who headed the commission said, "A total of 20 recommendations are made to the state government to curb illicit alcohol production and trade. It includes awareness campaigns in the state to apprise people about the threats of spurious alcohol."
The report also recommended checking of usage of methyl alcohol, the compound which is widely used to manufacture illicit alcohol illegally.
Other key recommendations include making prohibition and official policy and to propagate anti-alcohol campaigns more aggressively, fixing accountability of excise and state police department officials in case of deaths due to illicit alcohol and organizing statewide campaigns.
Total six people died in September in Dehradun while 45 died in Haridwar in February this year.
Uttarakhand high court, last month had issued notices to state government while hearing a public interest litigation regarding deaths due to consumption of spurious alcohol.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Pramod Sharma, a resident of Dehradun after 45 people died in Haridwar in February 2019 following the consumption of spurious alcohol. He requested the court that the investigation be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
An additional application was moved by the petitioner in the PIL about seven deaths in Dehradun last month. The petitioner had also requested that the officers responsible for the disaster be suspended and that FIRs be filed against them.
The state government formed a committee in February 2019 to find what measures needed to be taken to prevent any such an event.