Report by Ananta Prasad; Bubaneswar: In a major progress to the infamous recent hooch tragedy in the state leaving more than 30 villagers into the bed of death today, the Justice Naidu Commission asks for affidavit from the excise & health secy. The Commission directed the secy of both the departments to submit affidavits on actions taken on the spurious drugs tragedy in Cuttack and Khurda districts.

The Commission has also send directive to both the high end officials to submit witness list by 8th of the coming month. The commission has shown sincere efforts to this incident which had a serious impact in state politics leaving one senior minister of the cabinet resigned from his post. The commission shall visit Eastern India Pharmaceuticals in Bhubaneswar and other pharmacy manufacturing units involved in the menace.

It is noted that a one-man commission headed by retired High Court judge A S Naidu was appointed to probe the hooch tragedy from five different angles to ascertain the cause leading to the deaths of 34 persons. The Odisha government had issued a communiqué citing the terms of inquiry into the tragedy. Several others who survived the scourge of the spurious liquor have lost complete vision.

The Naidu commission was about to probe the tragedy from five different angles. The first condition was to enquire about the conditions leading to the tragedy. The second condition was to find out the source of the highly intoxicant brew and to find out the persons or the establishments involved in the supply of the killer liquid. The third term was to find out if the tragedy struck due to the negligence of any field staff of the government agencies in charge of maintaining watch over excise and contraband items.

The commission had been empowered to inquiry into any other angle if any new fact surfaces while conducting the probe. This apart, the Commission was empowered to suggest measures to stop repetition of such tragedies in the future. The government notification had maintained that the one-man judicial commission would submit its report within six months.