JD(U) rules out review of Bihar's liquor prohibition law amid Manjhi's remarks

Days after Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi raised concerns over the implementation of Bihar's prohibition law, demanding it be implemented along the lines of the Gujarat model, the JD(U) on Tuesday said there is no question of reviewing the law, which was implemented during the tenure of former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, implemented in April 2016, bans the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol in the state.

The JD(U), an alliance partner in the NDA government in the state, said the prohibition law has improved Bihar's human development index on different parameters and was appreciated by top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"There is no question of review of the prohibition law, which was implemented during the tenure of our leader Nitish Kumar. I must say that the prohibition law has brought significant changes in the lives of rural women. Not only that, the law, implemented by then CM Nitish Kumar, was even appreciated by PM Modi," senior JD(U) leader and MLC Neeraj Kumar told PTI on Tuesday.

Manjhi had recently highlighted loopholes in the implementation of prohibition, saying the law should be streamlined on the Gujarat model. "Due to flaws in the law's implementation, moral lapses are increasing. I would urge Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary to consider implementing the Gujarat model of prohibition in Bihar," he had said.

According to reports, a recent research paper by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) concluded that prohibition causes significant revenue losses to the state exchequer, and that lifting the ban could boost state revenue by 14 to 15 per cent. The report, titled "Macro Perspective of Bihar's Development Achievements: Unfinished Agenda and the Way Forward" and released during the India Policy Forum last week, stated that liquor prohibition in Bihar has led to "an increase in liquor trade, bootlegging, and higher consumption of alternative intoxicants."

Echoing similar views as Manjhi, RJD leader Bhai Birendra said that despite the prohibition law, liquor sales have increased in Bihar, while some "white-collar individuals and those in khaki have all enriched themselves." "However, we had endorsed the liquor prohibition law back when it was implemented, and even today, we are in favour of prohibition. Its implementation should be strengthened," he said.