EXCISE, INDUSTRY DEPTS’ ROLE UNDER SCANNER
as the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) is under attack for discharge of molasses from a sugar mill into the Beas recently, the role of the state excise and industries departments is also under the lens.
The control and inspection of molasses lies with the excise department, which failed to maintain stocktaking and inspect the overflow. Under the East Punjab Molasses Act (11 of 1948), the department is controller of molasses in sugar mills.
“The quantity of liquor produced is directly linked with molasses and, therefore, the excise department inspects it. The officials concerned failed to see why the mill was storing such a high quantity of molasses,” said an excise official.
This also hints at the possibility of unaccounted for liquor being produced in the
factory and a deep probe is needed into the role of excise officials, he said.
Also, the industries department has to do periodic checks.
“The company is saying that boiler leaked, but the boiler inspector has not visited the spot so far. There is also laxity on part of the industries department,” an official said. The mill lacked in safety norms and a blast in the boiler damaged the pipes that linked the boiler to molasses storage facility.
Had the safety norms and regular monitoring of storage of molasses been done, the spill could have been reduced or checked, but there was no action plan, said a PPCB official. “PPCB will ask the departments to submit inspection reports. We are facing public anger but our role starts when contamination took place,” he said.
Excise and taxation commissioner Vivek Partap Singh could not be reached for comment despite several attempts.