Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said that those attacking his Government’s prohibition policy are agents of a strong liquor lobby in the country that is scared now that the people have started demanding prohibition everywhere following its success in Bihar.
Addressing a function to mark Prohibition Day on Monday, he said the voices against the liquor ban were sponsored by the lobby which feared that their huge business empire would be adversely affected with total or partial prohibition. After Bihar some other States too have started implementing the scheme partially or on experimental basis.
Nitish was hitting back at his political adversaries who had objected that only the poor and dalits were being affected due to prohibition policy and they were being put behind bars for sale and consumption.
The CM on this occasion heavily quoted a study report of the WHO which claimed that in 2016, altogether 30 lakh people died due to alcoholism around the world. The report suggested that deaths due to suicide, road accidents and clashes were mainly because of liquor consumption and among those dying 13.5 per cent were young people. The alcoholism was causing more deaths than tuberculosis, HIV, AIDS and diabetics, the report said.
Nitish asked the prohibition officials to circulate the WHO reports pertinent parts in Hindi among the villagers in bid tom make them aware about the dangers of the boozing.
Claiming that during the past over two years when the total prohibition was enforced in Bihar in April 2016, there has been sharp decline in the cases of social tension, clash, quarrel and murders.
He also pooh-poohed the assumption that prohibition had adversely affected tourism sector. “On the contrary the number of tourists to Bihar has increased ton 3 crore including ten lakh foreign tourists. The tourists here come for sight seeing or pilgrim and not to consume liquor,” he said.
The government, he added, lost a revenue of Rs 5,000 crore due to prohibition but the policy ahs helped increase the public saving which was wasted on alcoholism. “Women are immensely happy and they say their men were now more humane and sensitive and take interest in the education of children and farming and other activities after they are free from alcohol,” the CM said.
The CM asked additional Chief Secretary Amir Subhani, who also looks after home, general administration besides excise and prohibition to take harsh action against the police or civil officials involved anyhow in the illicit business of liquor, dismiss them from service and file so many clauses against them they should not come out of jail.
Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi said Bihar’s decision on prohibition would go down in the history and praised Nitish for the highly courageous decision and it has impressed the entire country. “When this decision was taken our party was in opposition still we had supported the move,” he said.
Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, Modi said, have introduced prohibition in some districts and regions after Bihar experiment and the Supreme Court directed that no liquor outlet would be allowed in the periphery of 5 km of the highways. “Bihar has become the only State having total prohibition,” he said.
The CM however said that mere legislation and government action would not fully enforce any social reform and the public participation in itgs implementation was necessary. He urged the people to continue their campaign against this evil.