The Nitish Kumar government has decided to conduct census of those who have given up the habit of drinking liquor in dry Bihar. It has also directed police and administrative officials to continue their action against liquor mafia with the help of drones, sniffer dogs, motorboats etc.
“The previous survey has said 1.64 crore people have quit liquor drinking but now we have decided to conduct census to find out the exact number of those who have given up the habit”, Mr. Kumar said at a meeting of the Prohibition and Excise department on Monday.
The Chief Minister directed the officials to continue their action against liquor mafia and operators with the help of drones, motor boats, sniffer dogs etc to dismantle illegal liquor manufacturing units.
Ban since 2016
Bihar was declared a dry State after the State Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2016 came into effect in April 2016. Recently, the police and prohibition department officials, with the help of drones, dismantled a number of illicit liquor manufacturing units set up in riverine areas in Vaishali, Saran, Patna and other districts. The district police have been using sniffer dogs to smoke out illegal country-made liquor brewing units in villages and remote areas. However, over 30 people died in recent months after consuming spurious liquor, while some lost eyesight.
The Nitish government, though, has been criticised for such deaths of poor people and availability of illegal liquor. But, Mr. Kumar has been hell-bent on implementing the stringent liquor law.
“We have also directed officials to speed up prosecution against those involved in the illegal liquor trade. Liquor ban was imposed in Bihar in April 2016 and since then some other States too want to implement the same”, said Mr. Kumar, adding, “consumption of milk, sweets, vegetables, fruits has significantly increased in the State ever since liquor was banned and this has been an increasing sign for us”.
Manjhi’s stand
However, Mr. Kumar’s ally Jitan Ram Manjhi of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), while addressing a meeting in Gaya on Tuesday, said, “sharab pina buri baat hai, lekin doctors aur log kehte hain ki thodi thodi pina chahiye [liquor drinking is a bad thing but doctors and others say it should be taken in small quantity]. Mr. Manjhi further said, “they [the officials] do not dare to arrest the MLAs, IAS officers and big people who gulp liquor from large bottles every night but they catch hold of poor people only”.
A few days ago, ruling JD(U) MLA Narendra Kumar alias Gopal Mandal triggered controversy with his comments on consumption of illegal liquor and people dying in the State because of it. “Despite the Chief Minister making regular appeals not to drink liquor, people are consuming it and dying. It’s good that it creates space in society and does population control”, said Mr. Mandal who was caught roaming in his undergarments in a train bogie recently.
