AHMEDABAD: In just three days, over 40 people have died after consuming spurious liquor in ‘dry Gujarat.’ The figures tabled by the government in the Assembly show that prohibition in the state is only on paper.
The government told the Assembly during the budget session this year that liquor worth more than Rs 300 crore has been seized in two years.
The government data revealed that 40,000 people in Gujarat can legally consume alcohol, with about 16,000 having received their ‘health’ permits in the past two years.
The toll from illegally traded liquor has caused worries: Over 100 people lost their lives due to spurious liquor in Ahmedabad in 2009 while 25 died similarly in 2016.
Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi revealed these figures in response to questions by Opposition legislators in the state assembly.
“In the last two years, the police confiscated over 1.06 crore bottles of Indian Made Foreign Liquor,” said Sanghvi.
Of the 40,000 people who can legally consume alcohol on health grounds, Ahmedabad district accounts for almost 30 per cent of all permits issued (13,034).
There are 8,054 health permits in Surat district and 1,989 in Porbandar district. Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot hold 70 per cent of health permits currently.
There are 5,547 visitor permits issued in the state, while the number of tourist permits is 3,729. Residents of Gujarat are allowed to keep and use foreign liquor of Indian origin to maintain their health.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Youth Congress activists on Wednesday staged separate protests against the BJP government over the hooch tragedy and demanded the resignation of Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi.
AAP activists, led by state unit president Gopal Italia, held a protest against the government outside the BJP office in Botad town.
Several people in Barwala taluka of Botad district have died in the last three days after consuming spurious liquor.
Youth Congress members organised protests in Surat and Jamnagar among other cities of the state.
They burnt Sanghavi's effigy and demanded his resignation over the tragedy.
"Gujarat Youth Congress burnt the effigy of (Junior) Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi and demanded his resignation regarding the Botad hooch tragedy," state Youth Congress president Vishwanathsinh Vaghela said on Twitter.
State AAP president Italia led the protest at the BJP office in Botad and sought justice for the families of the victims who lost their lives in the tragedy.
"AAP workers also demanded the resignation of Harsh Sanghvi, who has failed to control bootleggers. State President Italia along with AAP workers and local leaders staged a protest at Gandhi Chindhya Marg in Botad and the protest was supported by locals," the party said in a statement.
Before organising the protest, Italia went to Rojid village where several persons have lost their lives and met the members of the bereaved families.
Quoting local residents, Italia claimed BJP leaders get honest police officers frequently transferred.
"If leaders of the ruling party work to weaken the law and order in this way, then how will the lives of the people in Gujarat be safe? According to media reports, illegal liquor worth Rs 10,000 crore is sold in Gujarat. To whom this money goes is a big question," the AAP leader said.
Amid opposition protests, Sanghavi said he does not want to politicise the tragedy.
The death toll due to consumption of illicit liquor reached 40 on Wednesday.
Of the deceased, 31 belonged to different villages in Botad district, while nine were natives of its neighbouring Ahmedabad district.
Preliminary police investigations have revealed that some small-time bootleggers of villages in the Botad district made spurious liquor by mixing water with methyl alcohol or methanol, a highly poisonous industrial solvent, and sold it to local residents for Rs 20 per pouch.
Death toll rises to 46
The death toll due to the consumption of spurious liquor in Gujarat has reached 46. Several others have been taken ill, some critically, in Ahmedabad and Botad districts.
Meanwhile, the Vadodara rural police on Wednesday nabbed Jatubha Rathod, an accused named in the FIR registered in Botad, who was absconding since the issue came to light on Monday.
(With PTI Inputs)