In a throwback to the excesses of the British Raj, the Bihar Government has decided to impose collective fines on some villages for violating the Bihar Prohibition Act. Under the new Act, a fine will be imposed on each villager whether s/he actually flouted the prohibition rule or not.
The Excise and Prohibition Department has asked Patna District Magistrate (DM) to slap a collective fine on Manjhi Tola and Beldari Tola in Govindpur Village under Phulwari Sharif block of the district. A similar directive has been issued to the DM of Sheikhpura to impose a collective fine on Darhi Tola in Murarpur Village of the district. Both Govindpur and Murarpur villages are infamous for manufacturing liquor from mahua.
Sheikhpura Excise Superintendent Vikesh Kumar said Murarpur was the only village in the district which has repeatedly violated the prohibition law.
“A notice to all the 150 residents of Darhi Tola has been sent,” said Sheikhpura DM Dinesh Kumar.
The Excise Superintendent said after total prohibition was imposed, the villagers brewed liquor in their homes and sold it illegally. He said the DM would fix the amount of the fine. On many occasions during raids on these villages, spurious liquor was seized and makeshift distilleries were discovered and destroyed. However, the villagers were
back to the same business after the Excise Department teams went back.