Madhya Pradesh Excise Department revoked the license of Som Distilleries, an alcohol manufacturing company based in Bhopal, according to reports. In a case related to child labour, over 50 minors - 39 boys and 19 girls, were rescued from their distillery in the state’s Raisen district.
Last week, the Madhya Pradesh police investigated the company after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) found underage workers with burns on their hands due to contact with chemicals. A case was then filed under juvenile justice and bonded labour laws.
On Monday, Som Distilleries & Breweries filed a statement with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which read, “These (child labour) concerns are not related to Som Distilleries and Breweries Limited but to our associate Private Limited company which deals in country liquor primarily, and not the listed company. We wanted to clarify that labour for the associate company is supplied by contractors. It may be the fault of the contractors who may not have got proper age verification done of the workers being allowed to work at that company.”
In the statement, the company further said it has extended full cooperation to the authorities regarding the issue and has terminated the services of the vendor through the directors of that company. “We want to assure you that all the plants of our company are fully compliant with all applicable laws and have all the necessary permissions,” said the listed company.
The company, founded in 1986, went from being a regional distributor to manufacturing spirits for sale across 18 Indian states. It has manufacturing facilities in four states.