Excise Minister vows action against illegal liquor trade after Ganjam incident

Bhubaneswar, Aug 20: Prithviraj Harichandan, the Minister of Law, Works, and Excise, has strongly condemned the recent incident in Ganjam where over 20 individuals were hospitalized due to consuming liquor.

"Strict measures will be enforced against those engaged in the illegal liquor trade within the state," Harichandan stated in response to questions about the Ganjam liquor incident.

He announced that a new liquor police force will soon be introduced to combat the illegal liquor trade and its production from the ground up. "Efforts are underway to eradicate illegal liquor operations, starting with Ganjam," he added.

The incident involved more than 20 individuals being admitted to the MKCG Medical College in Berhampur after consuming country liquor, with four in critical condition. It is suspected that the health issues were caused by the liquor consumed.

Regarding the patients' conditions, Harichandan noted that most are recovering well. "Those who were ill are improving, including the individual who was critically affected," he concluded.