Discrepancies found in use of methanol at Dera Bassi factory

Mohali, April 17

A committee to check the sale and use of methanol and industrial spirit, constituted by Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain, found discrepancies in the use of methanol at a factory in Dera Bassi in the district on Tuesday.

The Dera Bassi Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Himanshu Gupta, said the subdivision- level committee, comprising himself; Block Level Extension Officer (Industries) Shruti Sharma; Excise Inspector Gurvinder Singh; and Mubarikpur police post incharge Satnam Singh, visited four industrial units where methanol was being used as a raw material.

He said the factories that were checked were Power Chem Tech, Alley Chem Labs Pvt Ltd, Surbhe Polymers and Synthimed Labs Pvt Ltd.

Gupta said, “The Power Chem Tech produces formaldehyde by using methanol; however, they failed to show the stock register and bills for methanol.” He said the management has been served a show-cause notice because of negligence in record keeping and for not being able to produce the requisite documents.

The SDM said the company had been asked to produce the required documents to the committee by 10 am on April 18.

Gupta said out of the four units, Surbhe Polymers and Synthimed Labs had proper record-keeping of methanol, adding that the quantity of storage was found as per the record. Alley Chem Labs said though the unit had a licence for the storage of methanol, it was neither buying nor using it in any form.