Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that a deliberate attempt is being made to portray the deaths in Jangareddygudem of West Godavari district as if there were due to consumption of illicit liquor, while the fact is that most of the deaths were due to natural reasons.
Mr. Jagan was speaking on the floor of Legislative Assembly, which witnessed unruly scenes on Monday after the TDP MLAs disrupted the Question Hour demanding a discussion on the incident at Jangareddygudem in which 18 persons died over a week.
Even as Speaker Tammineni Seetharam refused to allow an adjournment motion, the TDP MLAs stormed into the well of the House, stepped on to the Speaker’s podium, tore copies of placards, before being evicted by the Assembly marshals.
‘Won’t spare any one’’
Stating that the Special Enforcement Bureau would crack down heavily on any one who was indulging in making of illicit liquor, Mr. Jagan said his government would not spare any one indulging in manufacturing illicit liquor.
Mr. Jagan said that most of the deaths in Jangareddygudem were due to natural reasons and pointed out that the population of the mandal was 48,994 according to 2011 Census. Even if the growth rate of the population was pegged at 54,880 in 2022 with a growth rate of 12%, there would be 90 deaths due to natural causes with a 2% death rate, he said.
“Why will our government support those making illicit liquor, when we have launched a massive crackdown on those making or transporting illicit liquor? The Special Enforcement Bureau has booked 13,000 cases so far against those transporting liquor across the borders of the State. Soon after coming into power, we destroyed 43,000 belt shops and 4,380 unauthorised liquor outlets along with permit rooms. Everyone knows that the permit rooms allowed groups of people to consume liquor, and women used to dread treading those areas out of fear. Liquor used to be sold till 12 in the night and even after that, but now we have regulated liquor consumption through government outlets. In spite of taking all measures, some people could have been making illicit liquor, but we will crack down on such elements,’’ said Mr. Jagan.
Preliminary probe
Earlier, Minister for Health and Medical Education Alla Kali Krishna Das (Nani) said that preliminary inquiry into the deaths revealed that many had died due to natural causes. Referring to the death of Upendra, which had been interpreted in some regional papers as death due to consumption of illicit liquor, Mr. Nani said that medical reports suggested that Upendra was admitted to a hospital three days ago and his wife gave a statement that her husband complained of chest pain and had not consumed liquor for the last three days.
“Of the 18 deaths, reports suggest 15 persons died at their homes. Soon after the incident, the Chief Minister directed that a fact-finding team should rush to the mandal, a household survey should be conducted by the village secretariat staff, a medical camp should be held and medical specialists from Vijayawada should be rushed to the region. In spite of all these efforts, the Opposition is bent on disrupting the proceedings of the House,” said Mr. Nani.
