On 26th November, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced a liquor ban in Bihar with effect from 1st April 2016. Thus, people in the state resort to the consumption of illicitly-brewed country liquor. The consumption of spurious liquor leads to several deaths every year. Despite the dramatic increase in the number of deaths due to consuming illicitly-brewed liquor, Bihar Government is reluctant to repeal the prohibition laws. And now, 13 more have succumbed to death. All thanks to Nitish Kumar’s ego.
Nitish facing criticism over his prohibition policy
Reportedly, 13 people have lost their lives in Bihar due to illicitly-brewed country liquor. Besides, others are left critically ill.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is adamant about removing the liquor ban in Bihar, has asked the CM of its ruling coalition, Nitish Kumar to repeal the prohibition laws.
Apart from political parties, Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana, has also criticised Bihar’s prohibition laws. The CJI had blamed “lack of foresight” in framing the liquor ban laws that had resulted in the “clogging of courts” in Bihar.
Why removing of liquor ban in Bihar is necessary?
Haribhushan Thakur, a member of the legislative assembly from the legislative assembly (MLA) from Bisfi in Madhubani, Bihar had recently told that though the liquor ban was well-intentioned, Nitish’s government, however, immensely failed in executing the ban.
The MLA said that a vast section of youths in the state is involved in the smuggling of illegal liquor. He also informed that Police and smugglers have come together and it’s only with the police’s permission that illegal liquor is being sold in the state.
Read more: BJP is adamant on removing liquor ban in Bihar and it makes a world of sense
Male members of the family who used to spend Rs 100 for their liquor are now chalking out Rs 200 of their hard-earned money to buy illegal alcohol. This has led to reduced household spending, more threat of violence on dependent women and children of the family.
The preparation of alcohol requires fresh fruits, barley, freshwater, sunlight, and cheap labour in the vicinity. Bihar has all of these in vast proportions. The alcohol manufacturing industry on its own has the capacity to provide jobs to millions of people and take them out of the clutches of crime-filled poverty-led life. Moreover, since, alcohol has a huge demand in the state as well as all across the country, the industries would give a massive boost to the exports emanating from the state.
Despite the ill effects of the liquor ban in Bihar, state CM Nitish Kumar is prioritising it over several lives. Well, he needs to consider the dramatically increasing graph of death cases in the state and should repeal the prohibition law as earliest as possible.