Toxic Liquor Kills 29 In India’s Gujarat State

Published

3 years ago

July 26, 2022

The police say 29 people died after consuming toxic liquor in India’s western state of Gujarat.

The victims were mostly villagers from the Botad district, officials at the police control room said.

Preliminary laboratory tests indicated that chemicals including methanol were present in the liquor mix, regional police official Ashok Kumar Yadav said.

Three people have been arrested so far and investigations are underway.

A large amount of suspected spurious alcohol has been seized in raids.

The tragedy first came to light when villagers who consumed the liquor on Sunday night were admitted into hospitals in the area early on Monday.

There were at least 30 people in serious conditions being treated, NDTV news channel reported.

Manufacture, consumption and sale of alcohol are banned in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state.

There are some government-authorized liquor shops from where residents with special health permits and foreigners can buy alcohol.

This is the second major incident where spurious liquor has caused a large number of deaths in the past year.

No fewer than 30 people died in the eastern state of Bihar in November.

In Bihar, there was also an alcohol ban, which some critics said encouraged the peddling of illegal and often tainted alcohol that was brewed without any regulation.

The illegal liquor trade thrives in India because it is much cheaper than commercially produced alcohol.

Hundreds of people, mostly the poor, die every year after consuming such toxic alcohol.

Share on Facebook

NTAC Hails Tinubu; Volunteers Ready to Positively Impact Nigerians

Published

4 days ago

June 4, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) has commended President Bola Tinubu for funding the Technical Aid Corps (TAC) Scheme.

The Director General (DG) of NTAC , Dr Yusuf Yakub, made the commendation during a ceremony to receive five returning TAC volunteers from Zanzibar, Tanzania on Tuesday in Abuja.
The returning volunteers also expressed readiness to impact knowledge gained from participating in the programme on Nigerians.

TAC is a mechanism for Nigeria’s foreign aid and technical assistance to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries through the use of Nigeria’s abundant trained manpower.

Yakub lauded Tinubu’s visionary leadership and steadfast support for the TAC Scheme.

Welcoming the volunteers who had discharged themselves as worthy ambassadors in Zanzibar, the D-G thanked them for their patriotism, dedication to service and for making Nigeria proud on the international arena.

The NTAC boss highlighted the importance of knowledge-sharing, while announcing that certificates of completion will be presented to the volunteers in line with the noble objectives of the service.

He also emphasised the volunteers’ crucial role in passing on the skills and experiences gained in Zanzibar.

He expressed optimism that their efforts would positively impact the lives of Nigerians across the country and shape the expectations and service-delivery of future prospective volunteers.

Earlier speaking, Amb. Zakari Usman, the Director of Programmes for NTAC, expressed gratitude to the D-G for his unwavering support and provision for the volunteers throughout their service period.
He said that the volunteers had so delivered on the mandate of the agency that citizens of Zanzibar did not want them to leave their country.
Popoola Adegoke, the Team Lead and a Mathematics Instructor for the batch of returning volunteers, was full of gratitude to the Federal Government for providing them the opportunity to participate in the scheme.

Adegoke said that Nigeria, was well blessed and had the abundance of both human and natural resources to contribute meaningfully to the development of many countries of the world.

He said that the need to continue the TAC Scheme was not negotiable, owing to its high impact and results.

Mohammed Salisu, a Physicist, said that the experience had broadened his horizon as his orientation during the last 24 months in Zanzibar, especially on the cultural exchange.

He lauded the government for the scheme, saying that Nigeria is seen and perceived to be higher in all ranking, especially in the standard of living and educational system.

He also appealed to the government to sustain the scheme to close the gaps both the educational and professional systems in the African, Caribbean and the Pacific Countries.
NAN

Share on Facebook