Fresh tragedy reflects Excise apathy

VIJAYAWADA: The death of four persons after consuming illicit liquor at Brahmin Street in One Town on Friday, reflected the failure of the Excise and Prohibition officials to curb manufacturing of illicit liquor in Krishna district.Though the substance which claimed the lives of four persons is yet to be ascertained, some say it is methanol which caused the hooch tragedy at  Mylavaram in which 19 persons perished.Some others say it is rectified spirit which claimed the lives of the four persons.It may be mentioned here that after the Mylavaram hooch tragedy, the excise officials announced that they  would sensitise villagers on the dangerous effects of consumption of Illicitly Distilled (ID) liquor.Prohibition and Excise in-charge deputy commissioner SM Rajeswara Rao at a press meet in February this year said they identified Nuzvid, Vissannapet, Nandigama and Jaggaiahpet as ID liquor manufacturing hubs. He said the PD Act would be invoked against the bootleggers to curb the inflow of illicit liquor. But only one bootlegger of Vissannapet was booked under the PD Act after the Mylavaram hooch tragedy, which highlighted the apathy of excise officials.Meanwhile, excise enforcement director DS Chauhan who visited the city after the tragedy, said they were yet ascertain the substance that claimed the lives of four persons. But he felt that the deaths might not be due to consumption of liquor containing methanol.