Chandigarh, Dec 26 (PTI) Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Monday said he will get the data related to the number of deaths because of spurious and illicit liquor in the state checked after INLD MLA Abhay Chautala questioned the figures presented by the minister in the Assembly.

On the opening day of the three-day Haryana Assembly session, Vij said a total of 36 people died due to spurious and illicit liquor in different districts of the state from 2016 to 2022.

Also Read | Colobus Monkeys, Crocodile Smuggled In From Myanmar Seized in Mizoram.

The minister was replying to a calling attention motion on the issue of spurious and illicit liquor moved by Chautala and Independent MLA Balraj Kundu.

Vij informed the House that three persons in Sonipat and one in Panipat died in November this year due to the consumption of spurious and illicit liquor.

Also Read | BJP Using ‘Political Corona’ to Stop Bharat Jodo Yatra, Says Samajwadi Party’s Shafiqur Rahman Barq.

Besides, in 2016, two people and in 2020, a total 30 people died in various districts of the state. Thus, a total of 36 deaths have been registered in different districts from 2016 to 2022 (till date) in the state, he said.

Responding to the minister's reply, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) legislator Chautala asked him whether the information tabled in the House was based on facts.

Chautala pointed out that in the Lok Sabha in July, the figure of 479 deaths in Haryana was shared in a reply to an 'unstarred' question on the number of deaths in the country due to spurious and illicit liquor.

The Ellenabad MLA asked Vij to first check information from his officials concerned before sharing it in the House.

Chautala further said 47 people alone died during the lockdown because of spurious liquor.

Vij said there is a lot of difference between the data he shared and what Chautala presented.

“I will get the matter inquired,” the minister said, adding he will also inform the MLAs in this regard.

Vij also informed the House that the Excise and Taxation Department is conducting regular checking of liquor vends to ensure that there is no illegal sale of liquor.

The district staff has also been directed to ensure that CCTV cameras are installed in all wholesale licensed premises in the district and the live feed is available to further curb any illegal sale of liquor, he added.

The home minister further said the sale of illicit liquor was reported during the lockdown for which an SIT was formed and it submitted its report for further special investigation against the officials.

He said for vigilance investigation, recently director general of police (vigilance) informed him that statements of 209 liquor contractors have been taken in this case.

Besides, statements of several officials and people associated with 23 distilleries have been recorded, he added.

Vij further informed that vigilance has also registered an FIR, under which a fine of Rs 63.15 crore has been imposed, out of which over Rs 7 crore has been recovered.

Some cases are still pending in the court and the inquiry is underway, he added.

"I hold a repulsive image as I don't spare anyone," the minister said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)