Bharatpur: Though the Rajasthan government has been cracking down on the sale of spurious liquor, Ganganagar Sugar Mill- a state-owned liquor factory has seen many deaths of their workers till now.
Located in Rajasthan's Bharatpur, Ganganagar Sugar Mill provides work to widows of the labourers.
Widows are making liquor in the factory to support their families as their husbands lost their lives while drinking liquor produced in the mill.
While talking to ETV Bharat, a widow said that the organisation is supporting and taking care of them after her husband's death.
She said, "I am working in this liquor mill since 2002, after my husband's death. I have to take care of my son, due to which after him, I started producing alcohol here. "
Another widow said, "My husband died due to liver failure. He was addicted to liquor and because of him, I have to work now. "
The management told ETV Bharat reporter that they have been instructing them not to drink, even it is strictly restricted to drink alcohol inside the campus.
"In Ganganagar Sugar Mill, there is a government policy in which the job after an employee's death can be given to their family. In fact, now and then we aware of our employees about it," the management said while talking to ETV Bharat.
He added, "Even after conducting multiple workshops for the employees to stay away from liquor yet somehow they manage to steal and drink it."
23 per cent of workers have lost their lives
As of now, 26 workers are working at Ganganagar Sugar Mill out of which at least six are widows.
Approximately 23 per cent of people have lost their lives while drinking liquor produced in this mill.
It is said that there is a dire need for a breath analyzer to impose strict restrictions on the consumption of alcohol on the employees working in the mill.
The officials of the mill say that on their behalf, the employees are counselled to not consume alcohol timely.
There has been a lot of awareness among the employees as compared to before, but still, some employees secretly consume alcohol.
The sugar mill currently employs six dependents of the deceased employees. They are supported by the department for many years.
Earlier in 2016, a report submitted by Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) tabled that the liquor produced by the Rajasthan government is unfit for consumption. It stated that the liquor sold by the government was not substandard, the government argued in its defence, but CAG while denying accepting it, observed how the government sold the liquor without testing it in the laboratory.
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