Only four days after enforcing partial liquor ban in Bihar, the Nitish Kumar government on Tuesday implemented total prohibition in the state with immediate effect.
A decision to make Bihar a dry state was taken at the state cabinet meeting during the day. Announcing the decision, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that the manufacturing, distribution and sale of India Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) would be banned across the state in keeping with the overwhelming sentiments of the people, especially women and children.
The government had earlier banned country and spiced liquor in the rural areas but had allowed the sale of IMFL through the outlets of the Bihar State Beverages Corporation Ltd (BSBCL), a state government undertaking.
However, the opening of new outlets of BSBCL met with vociferous protests by local residents, mostly women, at many places forcing the government to have a rethink over the issue. "We wanted to enforce total prohibition in the second phase after creating strong public opinion against the consumption of liquor," Nitish said. "But we felt in the past four days that such an atmosphere already prevailed in the state."
Nitish said that women, children and others protested against the opening of the new outlets in the urban centres and even prevented it at many places. "It has already taken the form of a social movement," .
The chief minister said that he had not set any time-frame for enforcing total prohibition earlier. "I was only waiting for the right atmosphere," he said. "The tremendous response of the people in the last four days convinced me that it was the perfect time to enforce total prohibition."
Nitish also sought to dispel the confusion on the sale of toddy. He said that his government had only enforced the guidelines set up way back in 1991 which allowed the sale of 'neera' (palm drink obtained from the trees before sunrise) only. "There is no permission for sale of toddy which is obtained from palm trees after sunrise and has alcoholic properties," he added.
