Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

House team for action against bootleggers

By Staff Correspondent

JORHAT, March 1 - The 22-member all-party team under the leadership of the Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami, which visited the hooch tragedy-affected areas of Golaghat and Jorhat districts today, has asked the administrations to deploy police personnel sufficiently in tea garden areas on the day of weekly or fortnightly payment of wages to workers to prevent bootleggers to sale illicit liquor.

The all-party delegation�s visit was a decision taken in the State Assembly last week to take stock of the situation of the tragedy by knowing about the situation on the ground.

Speaking to The Assam Tribune this evening, Goswami said that during the meetings of the delegation with top officials of both the district administrations, in which senior officials of the State police, Excise, Food and Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs and Veterinary departments attended, deployment of police for at least two months in the tea gardens and its adjoining areas during the day of weekly/fortnightly wages payment has been instructed.

The Speaker said that it has been felt that the presence of policemen in tea estates and its nearby areas could prevent possible attempts by bootleggers of sell illicit liquor to workers.

He said it has been observed that the illicit liquor thrives mostly in tea estates and adjoining areas and most of the casualties were from the garden areas.

�We have told the police authorities to deploy forces in the tea garden areas and especially the hooch-tragedy affected gardens and the other nearby places from which deaths and sick cases were reported, and carry out heavy patrolling as that would prevent the unscrupulous people who may try to carry out the illicit trade,� Goswami said.

He said that such an action was required on the payment day as garden workers would be having money and hence the unscrupulous elements may try to woo them to consume the lethal brew.

The Speaker said that he will urge the government to direct the district administrations having tea gardens to follow the suggestion of deploying policemen on wage payment days.

Goswami said that the police and Excise and Food and Civil Supply Department officials of the two affected districts were asked to seal all godowns storing lali gur (liquid) and destroy them and take strong legal action against traders who were found to sell the substance to people producing illicit liquor as per provisions of the law, as the same is ought to be sold for cattlefeed purposes only.

He added that the team will discuss regarding the suggestions to be offered to the government on ways to tackle the menace.

He said the issue of children orphaned by the tragedy and way to assist them further by the government and also support from the civil society will be discussed among the members of the delegation.

Earlier, the team that arrived in Golaghat yesterday night visited the affected areas in both the districts and interacted with the next of kin of dead and victims released from hospital.

The delegation also visited the JMCH and inquired about the patients undergoing treatment there.

Next Story