The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found that liquor in Haryana was dispatched from manufacturing units before chemical examination reports were received. This means batches of liquor may have left distilleries without confirmed safety testing, according to the audit body.
CAG audit reveals liquor dispatch before chemical analysis in Haryana
The CAG's scrutiny focused on whether distilleries followed Rule 17 of the Punjab Distilleries Rules, which applies to Haryana. This rule requires distilleries to permit sampling of materials used in spirit production to ensure the liquor is fit for consumption. In Haryana, the process is meant to work like this: before any batch is dispatched from a manufacturing unit, samples from that batch are sent to the chemical examiner for testing.
However, the audit found a serious gap in how this process was tracked. According to the CAG, "Scrutiny of system data and entry forms revealed that the IT application lacked a design to capture details of samples sent for testing and the results received from the chemical examiner." In plain terms, the computer system used by the distilleries did not have a way to record whether samples were actually tested or what the results were.
Distilleries under scrutiny in Yamunanagar and Samalkha
The CAG's examination covered records from specific manufacturing units. These included M/s Haryana Distillery Limited in Yamunanagar and Haryana Organics in Samalkha. The audit looked at system data and entry forms from these units to understand how the dispatch process worked in practice.
The core problem is straightforward: liquor was being sent out from these manufacturing units before the chemical examination reports came back. This directly contradicts the requirement that samples from each batch be tested first to confirm the liquor is fit for consumption.
What this means for liquor safety in Haryana
The CAG's finding raises a basic question about oversight. If the IT system does not capture sample testing details or results, there is no clear record that any batch was verified as safe before it reached consumers. The rule exists to protect public health, but the audit suggests the tracking mechanism failed to support it.
The absence of a proper design in the IT application means that even if tests were conducted, there is no reliable data to confirm it. This creates a gap in accountability — neither the distilleries nor the regulators can easily prove that the required checks happened before dispatch.
Our Take: A safety rule that is not being enforced
To put it plainly, this is a failure of process. The rule is clear — liquor should not be dispatched until chemical examination reports confirm it is fit for consumption. The CAG's finding shows that in practice, this was not happening, and the system did not even allow for proper tracking.
This matters because liquor safety is not a minor issue. If batches are sent out without confirmed testing, consumers are exposed to potential risk. The fact that the IT application lacked the design to capture testing details is not just a technical flaw — it is a gap that undermines the entire purpose of the rule.
In our view, the state needs to fix this immediately. The IT system must be updated to record sample submissions and results, and distilleries must be held to the rule that no dispatch happens before reports are received. Without these steps, the rule is just words on paper, and the public has no assurance that the liquor they buy has been properly checked.