Strict action to be taken against those found violating liquor prohibition law: Bihar CM

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday warned of stern action against those caught flouting the liquor prohibition law, taking cognisance of the recent hooch-related deaths in the state.

The chief minister maintained that law enforcement agencies have been asked to ensure proper implementation of the ban across the state, where spurious liquor has claimed close to 40 lives in different districts since Diwali. Asserting that alcohol has been banned in the interest of society, Kumar appealed to people to cooperate with the government in its mission "as liquor is a dirty thing".

Also read: 24 dead in two Bihar districts after consuming suspected spurious liquor

He has called for a high-level meeting on November 16 to deliberate on the prohibition law. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of his weekly programme 'Janata Ke Darbaar Mein Mukhyamantri', Kumar recalled that the state had its first brush with prohibition in the 1970s when his mentor, Karpoori Thakur, was at the helm in Bihar and Morarji Desai was the prime minister.

"After a change in the regime, ban on liquor was done away with. We re-imposed the same in keeping with the demand of the state's womenfolk. It has benefited the people of Bihar in many ways," he asserted.

The CM further said that the role of the enforcement agencies in implementing the ban will be reviewed from time to time and any lax will be strictly dealt with. He also maintained that anyone found violating the law by supplying liquor to the dry state or consuming it, be it government officials or common people, will have to face stringent action.

"If necessary, the state government will re-initiate campaigns to spread awareness about the ill-effects of drinking, said the CM, adding that the WHO has enumerated a number of diseases that result from drinking, "which I keep highlighting".

The Nitish Kumar government had on April 5, 2016 banned the manufacture, trade, storage, transportation, sale and consumption of liquor in the state. Amid mounting criticisms by opposition camps over his government's alleged failure to enforce the ban, Kumar is also facing the heat from its ally, the BJP, which sought a review of the prohibition law.

Responding to a question on his demand for a caste-based census in the country, the CM stated, "We (all party) will soon discuss the issue. An all-party meeting will be called to take a decision on the matter."

The Centre had in September told the Supreme Court in an affidavit that caste census of Backward Classes is administratively difficult and cumbersome" and excluding such information from the purview of the exercise is a "conscious policy decision". Kumar, during the day, met over 160 complainants at the public interaction programme, a CMO official said.

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