Urgent Call for Methanol Regulation: A Push for National Safety

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has intensified calls for the central government to regulate methanol under the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, following a tragic incident that claimed 23 lives due to toxic liquor in Amritsar's Majitha town.

In a letter addressed to Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, Cheema underscored the rising threat posed by unregulated methanol, a toxic industrial chemical. Repeated hooch tragedies across India signal a dire need for stringent regulation, according to an official statement from his office.

Cheema is recommending legislative amendments to explicitly include methanol as a regulated substance. He suggests implementing tracking mechanisms, such as barcoding and electronic tracking, along with compulsory buyer registration. Such measures aim to prevent the illegal diversion of methanol and protect lives at a national scale.

(With inputs from agencies.)