With only 20 days left for the first phase of the liquor prohibition in Bihar, the Government has accelerated its preparations to ban the country liquor and shut all the outlets mainly in rural areas from April 1. If all goes well, all the 3,467 outlets of countrymade and spiced liquor would be shut and in most of them milk parlours be opened.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had promised before the Assembly elections to ban the liquor, wrote to all his counterparts in the bordering States like Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal seeking their cooperation in prohibition and smuggling of liquor in Bihar from their territories. However there had not been much response from those States except a meeting between the DGPs of Bihar and Jharkhand. The CM in a sarcastic tone was heard saying that instead of cooperation “new shops in big number have come up on bordering areas.”
In bid to successfully implement the prohibition policy, the Government has planned special vigilance in the districts bordering other States to check the smuggling from Nepal, Jharkhand, UP and West Bengal. The excise department has issued special instructions to the DMs posted in such districts. Special patrolling in those areas has also been ordered and extra forces might be deployed there.
Districts like Champaran, Gopalgunj, Siwan, Chhapra, Bhojpur, Buxar and Kaimur have borders with UP, Rohtas, Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, Jamui mand Bhagalpur with Jharkhand and Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia and Banka with West Bengal.
Bihar DGP PK Thakur had a meeting with his Jharkhand counterpart D K Pandey on Wednesday here and discussed opening of check posts in the areas bordering Jharkhand. Pandey assured full cooperation in Bihar’s prohibition policy and said additional check posts would be set up to check the smuggling of liquor.
Nitish revealed that over 200 people who were engaged in liquor business have shown their intent to open milk booths and have already applied for this. “They want to open milk parlours at the same places where liquor shops exist,” said the CM who had earlier advised the liquor traders to shun their business and instead serve milk and its products to the people.
In another significant move, the Government has decided to involve the school children as well as teachers in the campaign for awakening people about the disastrous outcomes of the boozing.
The CM informed that over two crore children studying in 0ver 72,000 primary and upper primary schools across the State would be provided a form and be asked to taken written undertaking from their parents that they would not consume liquor. Apart from that more than 40,000 volunteers mainly from the self help groups will go from house to house convincing people to give up drinking habit, he added.
The excise and prohibition department has been asked to identify the habitual boozers and if they don’t discard their habit arrangement be made for their treatment and de-addiction. The de-addiction centres would be opened in each district.
The Government is also going to bring a legislation in the ongoing session of the Assembly providing capital punishment for manufacturing illicit liquor which might result into hooch deaths.
With banning countrymade and spiced liquor in the first phase beginning April 1, the Government will lose about Rs 4,000 annual revenue. Only Indian made foreign liquor will be available at the outlets managed by Bihar State Beverage Corporation but the customers would not have liberty to consume it there. One person would be entitled for only one bottle.