Bhopal: In a bid to crack down on liquor mafia, the Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday approved amendments to the State Excise Act, which has recommended death penalty and life imprisonment in cases related to deaths due to consumption of spurious liquor.
What is included in the proposed amendment?
The approval comes amid the death of at least 11 people allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Mandsaur and Indore. The cabinet has approved the Madhya Pradesh Excise Amendment Act 2021, under which a provision of life imprisonment and death penalty has been made in case of death due to spurious liquor.
Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra told after the cabinet meeting, ‘A provision has also been made in the amendment to fine Rs 20 lakh in such cases.
It is expected to become a law after being approved by the state legislative assembly and later with the assent of the governor.
What is the reason behind the proposed amendment?
According to Mishra, the amendments have been introduced to prevent offenses related to illicit liquor trade and deaths due to spurious liquor. Under the existing law, in case of death by consumption of spurious liquor, the convicts are punished with imprisonment ranging from five to a maximum of 10 years. The amount of fine is up to Rs 10 lakh.
“Through this amendment, this law is being made more stringent,” Mishra said. Significantly, in addition to fines in cases of “corporeal harm” caused to victims by drinking spurious liquor, the penalty has been increased from 10 years to a maximum of 14 years. 10 lakh up to Rs.
Also, the jail term in the case of seizure of spurious liquor has been increased from six months to a maximum of four years. The minister also said that the amendments also suggest that people attacking police and excise department teams at the time of confiscation of illicit liquor be arrested without warrant.
He said that through this amendment proposal, the scope of punishment has been increased in many other provisions. He said such provisions are meant to discourage people involved in the illicit liquor business and lives can be saved.
Meanwhile, the state government has decided to give ‘heritage’ status to mainstream liquor made from Mahua flowers, an official release said.
The rules for the controlled manufacture and sale of this liquor will be made by the department. “This will encourage small scale mahua liquor industries. The rights of tribals, as mentioned in the Act, shall be protected without change,” it said.
To prevent smuggling and illegal trade of liquor, the Madhya Pradesh government has also decided to install QR-coded holograms on liquor bottles with over 20 security features.
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