Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Minister Harpal Cheema write to Centre, urges to enact strict laws on methanol use
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, May 14, 2025: Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema has written to Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, urging the Central Government to take immediate action to regulate the use of Methyl Alcohol (Methanol) under the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951.
The Minister's request comes in the wake of repeated hooch tragedies across the country, resulting in the loss of innocent lives due to the unregulated use of this highly toxic industrial chemical.
Highlighting the repeated incidents of mass casualties caused by the consumption of spurious liquor, linked to the clandestine use of Methanol, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema underscored the serious regulatory vacuum.
He said that the physical appearance, odour, and sedative properties of Methanol closely resemble those of Ethyl Alcohol, making it a silent killer when diverted into the illicit liquor supply chain.
The Minister pointed out that despite the Central Government's powers to regulate industrial alcohol under the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, Methyl Alcohol (Methanol) continues to fall into a grey area, leading to systematic failures in monitoring and compliance.
He stressed that the present legal framework does not sufficiently address the supply chain vulnerabilities of this substance, nor does it mandate tracking mechanisms, registration of buyers, or cross-state regulation.
Cheema urged the Central Government to treat the regulation of Methanol as a matter of national interest, demanding centralised, legally enforceable action.
He recommended immediate amendment of the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, to explicitly include Methyl Alcohol (Methanol) as a regulated industry/substance, along with the issuance of specific and binding rules or notifications to regulate its manufacture, possession, sale, storage, and movement.
The Minister also suggested implementing a central mandate to track and trace the movement of Methanol, including barcoding or electronic tracking, and compulsory registration of buyers and strict documentation of usage.
He also sought framing of supplementary legal provisions or a dedicated national law, establishing a uniform enforcement framework across all States and UTs.
He suggested that this must be supported by stringent penal provisions, real-time inspection protocols, and the capacity to take swift cross-jurisdictional enforcement action. He emphasised that these measures will not only prevent the misuse of Methanol in producing spurious liquor but also strengthen industrial transparency and prevent unauthorized access to hazardous chemicals.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema concluded by emphasising the need for urgent action to fill the legislative void and ensure that no life is lost due to a preventable regulatory gap.
He expressed hope that the Government of India will respond to this pressing matter of national urgency with the seriousness it deserves.