Liquor prohibition to continue in Bihar amid criticism from Opposition

Express News Service

PATNA: Amid criticism from opposition that liquor prohibition has failed to make any impact, Bihar chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday denied the allegations and declared that the prohibition will continue in the state in a more stringent manner. He was speaking as a chief guest on the final day of Bihar Police Week. 

The Tejashwi Yadav-led opposition has gone all out to question the prohibition move by CM Nitish Kumar and even accused him of failing to keep liquor smuggling in check. 

He added that there was a black economy parallel to ours thriving because of the liquor mafia in Bihar.

Asserting that the prohibition in the state was brought to force for the larger good of the society the CM said, “The prohibition in Bihar was enforced from April 6 in 2016 in the larger interest of the society and it  is set to continue. Strong action will be taken against violators.”

He asked the director general of police (DGP), SK Singhal to take stringent action against violators and liquor smugglers. 

Citing data to substantiate the state’s strong stand against violaters, Kumar said that 619 personnel and officials of state government, police and excise department, had faced departmental actions for their laxity in ensuring the proper implementation of prohibition.

He shared that 2,55,111 cases related to violation of prohibition were lodged in the state since April 6, 2016 to February 2021 and officials have seized 51.7 lakh litres of country-made liquor and 94.9 lakh litres of Indian foreign make liquor (IMFL).

“A record number of 3,39,401 people were arrested since 2016. Of them, 470 accused have already been convicted in the prohibition violation cases,” he claimed adding that 5,501 people were arrested from Indo-Nepal bordering areas on the charges of liquor peddling and smuggling.

Kumar said that 37,484 vehicles were seized for transporting liqour consignments in the last five years while 3,482 vehicles were auctioned by the government. 

Talking about a zero tolerance policy on negligence by police on the prohibition he said, “60 police officers have been removed from the posts of SHOs for their negligence.”