8,800 liters of 'lahan' destroyed in raids at Muktsar after Amritsar hooch tragedy
In the wake of the devastating Amritsar hooch tragedy, which claimed several lives, the Excise Department has intensified its crackdown on illicit liquor operations.
A joint team of Excise officials and police conducted a raid on Tuesday afternoon along the Abohar Branch minor at Kattianwali village in Muktsar district. During the operation, they unearthed and destroyed 8,800 liters of unclaimed "lahan" (raw material used to prepare hooch).
In addition to the raids, the Excise Department has launched a public awareness campaign, warning people about the health hazards of consuming hooch. The public announcement also emphasised the stringent legal consequences for anyone involved in its production or sale.
A senior officer in the Excise Department said that the recent deaths had shocked everyone, and they were making efforts to ensure a similar tragedy does not occur again anywhere in the state. "We are short-staffed, and thus unable to monitor all illegal activities," he added.
Meanwhile, some residents of Kattianwali and nearby villages said that crackdowns begin only after a tragedy, and the authorities have yet to find a permanent solution to hooch production in Kattianwali and Chanan Khera villages, located in Muktsar and Fazilka districts.
Vikram Thakur, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Faridkot, said, "Joint teams of police and the Excise Department regularly conduct raids at Kattianwali and Chanan Khera villages, but those involved in hooch production refuse to give up the illegal practice. They always take advantage of the wild, dense growth along the canal and manage to flee before the arrival of the raiding team.".
