Alcohol will be banned in Bihar from April 1 next year, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced today fulfilling a promise he made to women before the assembly elections in the state.
"I had made a promise that if my government returns to power we will impose prohibition. The government is committed to fulfill its promise," he told a function on Excise Day here.
The state earns a revenue of Rs 400 crore annually from liquor sale.
"But in the interest of women and poor, the state government will impose ban on liquor from April 1, 2016," he said.
Kumar directed Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and Principal Secretary Excise K K Pathak to start working on a new excise police to ban liquor in the state from April 1, 2016.
Women had requested Kumar at a function ahead of the October-November assembly polls to stop sale of liquor saying it was ruining their homes and Kumar had promised to do so if he returned to power.
The promise has believed to have paid rich dividends to Kumar in the elections as women voters outnumbered men by nearly 5 per cent in all five phases of voting.
Announcing the ban today, Kumar spoke about the ill effects of liquor and that women were the worst sufferers.
He said it is seen that a poor family is ruined due to liquor addiction of its male member. "We wish to return happiness on the face of such families by imposing the ban."
He also stressed on the role of NGOs in spreading awareness among the people and said those who excelled in it would be awarded.
The erstwhile ruling NDA in Bihar had implemented a liberal excise policy under the earlier government headed by Kumar himself due to which a large number of liquor shops came up in the state and turned into a big issue in the recently-concluded assembly elections.
"Garland those who have opted out for a good alternative
and catch those still pursuing the old habit of minting money through illegal trade in alcohol," Kumar said in the presence of Excise and Prohibition Minister Abdul Jalil Mastan, Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and Principal Secretary of Excise and Prohibition Amir Subhani.
The state government had offered to allocate outlets of Sudha diary to the shops selling liquor previously, but media reports suggested that there were not many takers for the offer.
The Chief Minister said that it was a known fact that people have minted huge wealth out of liquor trade and that demonetisation would have an impact on them.
Kumar, who recently heard views of legislators at an all-party meeting and also of a cross-section of citizens on some provisions in new Bihar Excise Act, 2016 which they termed "stringent", said, "We are taking legal opinion on the suggestions and if need arises, some changes could be brought in a few sections of the Act in the state Assembly."
The JD(U) leader, however, categorically said the decision on prohibition was "atal" (unequivocal) and there could be no compromise with the liquor ban.
"For those who cannot live without liquor, what is the need to live in Bihar? Such people should take their shelter out of the state," Kumar said.
Observing that despite tough penal provision against heinous crimes like rape and murder, "such crimes do take place", the Chief Minister stressed that the success of prohibition depended on "jan samarthan" (people's cooperation).
