Two persons died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Odisha’s Ganjam district, officials said on Wednesday (August 21, 2024).
Another 18 persons are undergoing treatment at the government-run MKCG Medical College Hospital in south Odisha. The two victims have been identified as Jura Behera and Loknatha Behera.
All the affected persons were believed to have consumed illicit liquor sold near Moundpur village. According to locals, the liquor was locally brewed in a forest, and villagers used to consume it on a regular basis. Six persons have been arrested in this connection.
Probe sought
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) raised the issue in the Assembly and demanded a high-level inquiry. At a press conference, the regional party announced that it would send a four-member team headed by former Excise Minister Niranjan Pujari to take stock of the situation in the village.
Dhruba Charan Sahu, BJD leader and Rajanagar MLA, said the BJP had been demanding prohibition in the State to take a moral high ground. The BJP government had failed to stop brewing and sale of spurious liquor in the State, said Mr. Sahu.
