Overview
- Citing the recent Pune hooch tragedy that killed about 15 people, Union minister Ramdas Athawale told reporters on Tuesday in Bapgaon that hand-brewed country liquor (haathbhatti) should be legalised and regulated.
- Athawale explicitly described the suggestion as his personal opinion and not an official government policy, but his position as a Union minister gives the idea political weight.
- He said illicit hand-brewed liquor remains widely available to daily-wage workers and poorer groups despite repeated police crackdowns, and that formal regulation could ensure quality checks and licensing.
- In the same remarks he reiterated support for Maratha reservation while opposing blanket OBC inclusion, proposing OBC certificates for those with Kunbi records and a possible 10% EWS quota to be decided after the census.
- There is no sign of any formal policy change yet; the proposal could prompt debate over public health, excise revenue and enforcement, and it would directly affect poor consumers who face risks from methanol-tainted homemade spirits.