In a rare gesture, the Bihar legislators, irrespective of their party affiliation, passed on Wednesday the Bihar Excise (Amendment) Bill prohibiting country-made and spice liquor in the State from April 1. All the MlAs, including the Speaker were on their feet to not only unanimously support the prohibition but also took a pledge not to booze and make people aware about its dangerous effects on their health and finance.
The new excise policy coming into effect Friday, has provided harsher punishment to the violators of the rules including death penalty for manufacturing spurious liquor which cause hooch deaths.
All the shops selling country made and spice liquor in the rural areas will be shut down in the first phase of prohibition and the remaining liquor in their stock would be destroyed. In the second phase the foreign made liquor in the urban areas will also be closed to ensure total prohibition in Bihar. For now 90% of liquor shops will be closed and the remaining 10%, only 655 shops, dealing in foreign liquor will be controlled by the State Beverage Corporation without the involvement of private concerns.
Intervening in the debate in the Assembly on Wednesday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the man behind this move, said all related aspects have been fully taken care of on micro level. The transportation of spirit from other States through Bihar will also be closely monitored and the GPS fitted tankers will be digitally locked in Bihar periphery and would be asked to cross the State within 24 hours.
“Our target is total prohibition but it will be implemented in phase wise,” said the CM and told the House that in bid to make the policy complete success efforts have been made on all fronts by involving different departments. The school children have been asked to submit a written affidavit from their parents that they would not touch liquor and so far over one crore affidavits have been filed. At seven lakh places anti-liquor graffiti have been written and 8430 nukkad natak have been played to give a message to the villagers. Women have been asked to demolish liquor manufacturing units. Toll free numbers have been set up to receive public complaints.
There is also harsh punishment of 5-10 years prison for those drinking in public places and creating nuisance and also fine, even inside homes inviting people for the consumption of liquor and creating nuisance causing problems to others is also punishable offence from ten years to life term. The Government has also directed to give relief to the families of persons dying due to spurious liquor of Rs 4 lakh.
Nitish also announced that in each district de-addiction centres have been opened and the doctors deputed there have already been trained in AIIMS in New Delhi and MINHAS in Bangalore.