Almost 40 people have died and more than hundred fell ill after consuming illicit liquor in the Sangrampur area of South 24 Parganas of West Bengal. The dead and the ill are mostly from poor background. Those rendered ill have been admitted to different hospitals. The general public in Sangrampur came out in protest against illicit liquor vendors in the area. Meanwhile, the issue was also raised in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly by the opposition Left Front MLAs. The state government has announced an ex-gratia of 2lakh rupees to the next of kin of the deceased.