IEP Chandigarh, December 26
Haryana Home Minister, Sh. Anil Vij said that 03 persons in district Sonipat and 01 person in district Panipat died on November 22, 2022 due to consumption of spurious and illicit liquor. Besides this, in the year 2016 total 02 people and in the year 2020 total 30 people died in the various districts of the State. Thus total 36 deaths have been registered in different districts from the year 2016 to 2022 (till date) in the State.
Sh. Vij was responding to a calling attention motion moved during the first day of Winters Session in the Vidhan Sabha here today.
Sh. Vij informed that in the year 2016 there were total 2 deaths occurred due to consumption of spurious and illicit liquor. Similarly, a total of 30 deaths occurred in 2020 and a total of 4 deaths occurred in 2022. In order to prevent the business of illegal and spurious liquor in the state, the Police Department has been taking intensive and prompt action at various levels, in which 18136 people were arrested in the year 2016. Apart from this, 363323 licit liquor bottles, 14455 illicit liquor bottles and 21 distilleries, 549884 english liquor bottles and 94968 beer bottles were recovered.
Similarly, in the year 2017, 16233 people were arrested. 884256 licit liquor bottles, 38702 illicit liquor bottles and 22 distilleries, 761047 english liquor bottles and 73910 beer bottles were recovered. In the year 2018, 15265 people were arrested with the recovery of 839051 licit liquor bottles, 23863 illicit liquor bottles and 8 distilleries, 702540 english liquor bottles and 36592 beer bottles were recovered.
In the year 2019, 10670 people were arrested and 827880 licit liquor bottles, 79695 illicit liquor bottles and 10 distilleries, 923972 english liquor bottles and 48104 beer bottles were recovered. In the year 2020, 12341 people were arrested with the recovery of 591834 licit liquor bottles, 84712 illicit liquor bottles and 172 distilleries, 567734 english liquor bottles and 57918 beer bottles.
In the year 2021, 10753 people were arrested, besides 333251 licit liquor bottles, 64695 illicit liquor bottles and 108 distilleries, 355340 english liquor bottles and 31939 beer bottles were recovered. In the year 2022 till December 15, 2022, 13387 people were arrested, besides 401522 licit liquor bottles, 35462 illicit liquor bottles and 54 distilleries, 282872 english liquor bottles and 54132 beer bottles were recovered.
Sh. Vij informed that The Excise and Taxation Department, Haryana is conducting regular checking of liquor vends to ensure that there is no illegal sale of liquor. The district staff has also been directed to ensure that CCTV Cameras are installed in all wholesale licensed premises in the district and the live feed is available to the DETC (Excise), to further curb any illegal sale of liquor. The provisions of the Haryana Excise Act, 1914 have been amended to counter the illegal and spurious liquor. The provisions of section 61 have been made more stringent.
Sh. Vij informed that Vide Order No. 6/2/2020-2HC dated May 11, 2020, the Home Department, Haryana constituted a Special Enquiry Team (SET) under the Chairmanship of Sh. T.C. Gupta, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Power, Empowerment, Renewable Energy and Housing to enquire into the matter of theft of liquor from the recovered stock stored in the temporary warehouse at Kharkhoda-Matindoo Road, Sonipat, Haryana.
On July 30, 2020, the Special Enquiry Team (SET) submitted its report to the Government with the recommendations for taking appropriate action against the individuals officers/officials for the lapses mentioned in the report and also suggested/recommended measures for systematic improvements in functioning of Excise Department.
Sh. Vij further informed that through letter No. 20/64/2020-3S (I) dated August 25, 2020, the Chief Secretary to Government Haryana (Department of Personnel) sent a copy of Report of Special Enquiry Team to the Additional Chief Secretary to Government Haryana, Home Department and Principal Secretary to Government Haryana, Excise and Taxation Department with the request to take necessary action for implementing the recommendations of SET and it was also decided by the Government that the whole matter be got probed by the State Vigilance Bureau. Accordingly, the Chief Secretary to Government Haryana (Department of Personnel) directed Vigilance Department to get the above-mentioned issue probed by the State Vigilance Bureau.
Further, a one-member committee comprising Sh. Sanjeev Kaushal, Chief Secretary has been constituted to study the reports and recommendations of the following Teams/Committees and identify correctional measures required to be taken by various departments and also for initiating suitable action against the defaulters. The investigation will be done by SET headed by Sh. T.C. Gupta, IAS, Report of Committee headed by the Ms. Kalaramchandran IPS, SIT headed by Mr. Shrikan Jadhav IPS and Inquiry being conducted by State Vigilance Bureau. The matter is still under consideration, he added.
Sh. Vij further said sale of illicit liquor was reported during the lockdown for which an SIT was formed under the chairmanship of Sh. T. C Gupta and SIT submitted its report for further special investigation against the officials. The report that came against the officials was investigated by IPS, Ms. Kalaramchandran. He said that for Vigilance investigation, recently DGP Vigilance informed him that statements of 209 liquor contractors have been taken in this case. Besides this, statements of 111 officers/officials have been taken. It was informed that the statements of 869 gazetted and non-gazetted officers of the Excise Department have also been taken and statements of people associated with 23 distilleries have also been recorded.
Sh. Vij further informed that these records are being analysed and vigilance has also registered an FIR, under which a fine of Rs. 63,15,17,600 has been imposed out of which more than Rs. 7 crore has also been recovered. Some cases are still pending in the court and the inquiry is underway. He said, “I hold repulsive image as I don’t spare anyone”.
Regarding the figures raised by an MLA, he responded that I will get these figures checked, if found wrong then it will be investigated and will also inform all the MLAs in this regard. He said that as far as registration of FIR is concerned, people have also been arrested. Three persons from Sonipat namely Ajay, Sunil and Surendra died after consuming a poisonous substance i.e. methyl alcohol instead of ethyl alcohol, used in making liquor. Similarly, Anil of Panipat also consumed spurious liquor. He said that whoever was named in this case has been arrested and further investigation is underway.
Haryana Development and Panchayat Minister, Sh. Devender Singh Babli requested the MLAs to prepare and send estimates of development works under the Vidhayak Adarsh Gram Yojana (VAGY) for their respective constituencies so that the works could be started at the earliest.
He said that on the basis of the population of the villages selected by the MLAs in the state, an amount of up to Rs. 2 crores is provided to each constituency under the Vidhayak Adarsh Gram Yojana (VAGY).
He said this while briefing the House on the first day of the winter session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha today.
Sh. Devender Singh Babli informed that Vidhayak Adarsh Gram Yojana (VAGY) is a state sponsored scheme, which was implemented on July 6, 2015 on the lines of Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. Under this scheme, initially the MLAs were allowed to adopt villages with a population of 3000 to 7000 in the plain area and 1000 to 3000 in the hilly area of their constituency for development through participation. In the budget session of the year 2016, an amount of Rs. 1 crore was announced to be given to each MLA for this purpose. From the year 2016-17 to 2018-19, an amount of Rs. 90.67 crores were released for 957 development works of the adopted villages.
He informed that from December 26, 2018, an amount of up to Rs. 2 crores are provided to each constituency on the basis of the population of the village for the development works selected by the MLAs in the state. Under the Vidhayak Adarsh Gram Yojana (VAGY), MLAs will get Rs. 50 lakh for a village with a population of up to 5,000, Rs.1 crore for a village with a population of 5,000 to 10,000, and Rs. 2 crores for a village with a population of more than 10,000 can be recommended. This amount can be spent by them in one or more villages.
The Development and Panchayat Minister said that under this scheme, after December 26, 2018, till the year 2021-22, a total amount of Rs. 202.28 crore was released by the State Government for 2,217 development works to be done by the MLAs.