Drinking is a sin in dry Bihar now, not just for the common man but also for the usually-privileged babus, judges and judicial magistrates. According to a new rule, if any IAS and IPS officer, judge or judicial magistrate is found drunk, not just within the State but also out of its boundaries and anywhere in the world, they will have to face the music.
The new rule has come into effect after the Cabinet passed a resolution on it and proposed departmental proceeding against erring Government officials.
In a bid to make Bihar Prohibitions and Excise Act, 2016 stronger, the Bihar Government amended the Bihar Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1976 and approved the Bihar Judicial Officers Conduct Rules forwarded by Patna High Court. Previously there had been no conduct rules for the officials of the judiciary.
Principal Secretary Cabinet Coordination B Mehrotra said previously there had been no rule for judicial officers for consumption of alcohol and intoxicating drinks or drugs. “After the approval of the conduct rules they will have to strictly abide by the prohibition rules,” he said.
For Government officials earlier there had been a rule that they could not consume intoxicants while on duty. After the amendment in the Conduct Rules they will have to strictly adhere to the rule of prohibition legislation and the ban will apply even when they are outside Bihar.
The service conduct rules would be applicable on IAS, IPS or other officials on deputation to the Centre, any other State and even abroad.
The authorities concerned will have the power to initiate proceedings against the erring officials on the basis of evidence and recommend punishment ranges from salary cuts, stopping of increment and demotion to suspension and even dismissal from service.
Official sources said that it would be difficult to keep a watch on drinking habits of Government servants if posted outside the State.
However, an official said, “If there is any complaint with evidence of drinking against any official posted outside the State or abroad, the amended conduct rules will be applicable on such an official and proceedings will be started.”
Incidentally, only a couple of days ago at the Chief Minister’s lok Samwad (public dialogue) meeting, a citizen, Rakesh Kumar Sharma suggested to Nitish Kumar that random Ethyl Glucuronide test on IAS and IPS officers should be done to check for liquor consumption through urine samples.
He also proposed that hair alcohol test in which spirit consumption can be detected even after 90 days should be done randomly for the next three months as it would compel Government servants to stop drinking. Sharma suspected that the top officials were still drinking despite total prohibition in the State.