The Justice AS Naidu Commission of Inquiry on hooch tragedy in Cuttack and Khurda districts in February 2012, held that the villain of the entire episode was Eastern India Pharmaceutical laboratory (EIPl) of Bhubaneswar and indicted the Government departments like the Drugs and Excise for laxity and lack of cohesion.
As many as 41 persons had died in the tragic incident consuming spurious contents in bottles labelled as Epeecarm or Cinamon Water being produced by the EIPl. The Commission in its conclusion said that methyl alcohol is the alcoholic liquor responsible for deaths or infirmities.Though the tragedy was due to consumption of contaminated medicinal preparations, the then Excise Minister AU Singh Deo had to quit his post owning moral responsibility. The 486-page inquiry report along with the Action Taken Report was tabled in the Assembly on Saturday by Excise Minister Damodar Rout on Saturday.
The State Government had instituted the one man Judicial Commission led by Justice AS Naidu on February 10, 2012 to probe the unfortunate tragedy that took place in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar from February 6 to 9, 2012 in which 41 people were officially stated to be killed and several persons suffered full and partial blindness.
The sole reason of the mishap, according to the Commission, was lack of coordination among the Drugs, Excise, Police and District Administrations. The report said that all the four agencies discharged their duties within their own sphere, but without maintaining cooperation among themselves, what unscrupulous businessman capitalized by producing and marketing adulterated, sub-standard and spurious products in the shape of intoxicants, beverages or medicines.
In order to avoid recurrence of such incidents in future, the Commission recommended suggestions to set right some deficiencies in the Health and Family Welfare and Excise Departments.
In its 25-point recommendation, the Commission asked the State Government for establishment of Special Excise Court, a strong Intelligence -cum-legal Cell and constitution of multidisciplinary squads comprising of officials of Excise, Drugs, Police and Forest Departments under the chairmanship of district Collectors for intelligence gathering and conducting raids against illicit liquor trade, drug abuse and circulation of medical preparations for consumption.
With a view to stop misuse of alcohol, the Commission told the Government not to permit for manufacture of medicines containing more than 20 per cent alcohol.Besides, the Commission also recommended increasing VAT rate for pharmacopeia preparations containing high percentage of alcohol and bringing the price at par with the price of alcoholic beverage.
The Commission recommended establishment of Special Excise Courts, deployment of APR force, multi disciplinary squads and implementation of the Odisha Excise Act, 2008 to prevent such tragedy.In its report the Commission recommended that special excise courts should be established in all the sub divisional headquarters for speedy trial of the excise cases.
In each district excise office, one platoon of APR force should be deployed with vehicle permanently under the control of the Superintendent of Excise for their utilisation in raids, the Commission said. This apart, various inter- State entry and exit points should be strengthened by posting sufficient officers to tighten the border smuggling.
The Commission recommended to the State Government for introduction of price award system and toll free number, which should be adveritised for receiving information from different parts of the State with regard to manufacturing and sale of spurious drugs, medicines and alcoholic beverage. It said that assurance should be given to the informers that their names shall not be disclosed.
The Commission also recommended awarding compensation of Rs1.50 lakh each to widows or legal heirs of the 40 dead and exclude Baidhar Sahoo who too died but was illegally selling the lethal beverage.
Besides, the panel also said that two persons who sustained infirmities, Babaji Behera and Bharat Behera, appeared before the Commission and gave their statement. Each should be entitled to a compensation of Rs 30,000, it said.It also said that in the event the EIPl or other accused are found guilty in the criminal case, the compensation amount paid by the State Government should be realized from the real culprits.
The Commission also told the State Government that the Drugs Controller of India should be urged to ban drugs which are identified to be misused for the purpose of ordinary alcoholic beverage for containing high percentage of alcohol.The Government in its ATR said that most of the recommendations were being taken care of and steps would be taken in some cases like banning medicines containing more than 20 per cent alcohol.