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TNCC chief urges action after Kallakurichi hooch tragedy report
A commission studied a deadly illicit-liquor incident in Kallakurichi in 2024.
It said 70 people died after drinking the liquor.
The commission questioned how government officials handled their responsibilities.
Manickam Tagore, a Congress leader, wants negligent officials to face strict action.
He also wants investigators to check whether politicians supported the illegal liquor trade.
The report said weak enforcement of prohibition over many years helped create the problem.
It also said poor people may have chosen cheap illegal liquor because legal liquor cost more.
Tagore asked the government to support children whose fathers died.
The Justice P Gokuldas Commission examined the 2024 Kallakurichi illicit-liquor tragedy.
The tragedy killed 70 people who consumed illicit liquor between June 17 and June 20, 2024.
The commission examined 433 people and attributed the deaths primarily to officials’ failure to perform their duties properly.
Manickam Tagore urged Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to punish negligent officials and investigate possible political patronage.
Tagore called for food, housing, education and government jobs for children who lost their fathers.
- Who
- The Justice P Gokuldas Commission, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Manickam Tagore and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay are identified in the report.
- What
- The commission’s findings on the 2024 Kallakurichi illicit-liquor tragedy prompted a call for action against negligent officials and broader support for victims’ children.
- Where
- Kallakurichi, Tamil Nadu.
- When
- The deaths occurred between June 17 and June 20, 2024; Tagore made his appeal on Wednesday after the report was tabled recently.
- Why
- The commission attributed the tragedy primarily to officials’ failure to perform their duties, while Tagore also cited shortcomings in prohibition enforcement and the price gap between legal and illicit liquor.
Calls for accountability and expanded relief
Reported administrative and policy explanations
Responsibility for the tragedy
Calls for accountability and expanded relief
Manickam Tagore called for stern action against negligent officials and an investigation into possible political patronage of the illicit-liquor business.
Reported administrative and policy explanations
The commission’s findings, as described by Tagore, attributed the tragedy primarily to officials’ failure to discharge their duties properly.
Prohibition and alcohol access
Calls for accountability and expanded relief
Tagore argued that long-term social relief requires Tamil Nadu to be freed from alcohol addiction and urged stronger action against the illicit-liquor trade.
Reported administrative and policy explanations
The report said the failure of successive governments to implement prohibition effectively since 1971 contributed to widespread alcohol addiction, while the price gap between legal TASMAC liquor and illicit brew pushed vulnerable people toward cheaper illegal alcohol.
Key facts
- Deaths
- 70 people died after consuming illicit liquor.
- Incident dates
- June 17–20, 2024.
- Inquiry commission
- Justice P Gokuldas Commission.
- People examined
- 433 people were examined in connection with the illicit-liquor trade.
- Previous compensation
- Families of victims received Rs 10 lakh from the previous government.
- Requested assistance
- Food, housing, education support and government jobs for children who lost their fathers.
- Reported contributing factors
- The commission cited official failures; Tagore also pointed to ineffective prohibition enforcement and the price difference between legal TASMAC liquor and illicit brew.
Quotes
Manickam Tagore
President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee
“The substantial price difference between legal TASMAC liquor and illicit brew forced poor and vulnerable sections to turn to cheap bootleg alcohol, resulting in the loss of many lives.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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