Summary:
They were identified as Haridwar district excise officer Prashant Kumar and assistant excise officer Nathuram Joshi. Principal secretary (excise) Anand Bardhan said, “Departmental action has been initiated against five other officials - assistant excise commissioner Kailash Binjola, Haridwar deputy excise commissioner Ramesh Chauhan, Garhwal joint excise commissioner B S Chauhan, additional excise commissioner P S Garbyal and assistant excise commissioner Meenakshi Tamta.”Sources said that the action was taken after strong protests by the opposition during the assembly session. Sources said that excise commissioner Deependra Chaudhary submitted a report to the government after examining the replies to the notices based on which excise minister Prakash Pant suspended two more officials on Friday. Haridwar: In the aftermath of the February 8 hooch tragedy which claimed at least 116 lives in UP and Uttarakhand, two more senior excise officials were suspended by the state government on Friday.According to sources, 13 officials of the excise department, who were prima facie held responsible for the tragedy, faced immediate suspension and seven others were issued show cause notices. This is besides a magisterial inquiry and SIT probe into the tragedy..