Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to chair review meeting on liquor prohibition today - Hindustan Times
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Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to chair review meeting on liquor prohibition today

Written by Harshit Sabarwal | Edited by Meenakshi Ray, New Delhi
Nov 16, 2021 06:30 AM IST

As many as 150 people have lost their lives in various hooch tragedies after 2016 when the Bihar government banned the manufacture, trade, storage, transportation, sale and consumption of liquor.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar will on Tuesday chair a review meeting on liquor prohibition in the state, which will be held after at least 40 people have died in the state after consuming hooch in recent days, the latest death being reported from Muzaffarpur.

Chief minister Kumar chaired a similar meeting on November 5 over the issue of liquor prohibition.(ANI file photo)
Chief minister Kumar chaired a similar meeting on November 5 over the issue of liquor prohibition.(ANI file photo)

As many as 150 people have lost their lives in various hooch tragedies after 2016 when the Bihar government banned the manufacture, trade, storage, transportation, sale and consumption of liquor.

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Chief minister Kumar chaired a similar meeting on November 5 over the issue of liquor prohibition. After that meeting, Kumar said that action was being taken against those who were preparing spurious liquor.

Also Read| Bihar CM rules out review of liquor law, says it has no lacuna

In the last nine months, the Bihar police have confiscated more than 3.87 million illicit liquor and 62,140 people have been arrested. Of the total, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Aurangabad and Patna districts reported the highest quantity of liquor seized.

Two days ago, the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) urged the state government to end liquor prohibition. In a statement, the CIABC said that it requested the government to end prohibition in such a way that the latter can get revenues for Bihar’s development without compromising on the desired goals of the prohibition policy.

Meanwhile, opposition parties in Bihar have slammed the Nitish Kumar government over the liquor ban.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday blamed the government for the hooch tragedies in Bihar, and alleged that the illicit liquor business in the state was "thriving, with the full support of political leaders in the ruling coalition and the administration".

Also Read| Ahead of CM’s review meet, JDU leader raps Bihar police for continued liquor flow

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Saturday accused senior officials in Bihar of being a part of the illicit liquor racket. “The chief minister should answer why alcohol is still available to the public in Bihar. He won't answer this question because higher officials of the state are part of the racket and Nitish Kumar is known to run the government through his officials,” Paswan said while speaking to reporters, according to news agency ANI.

(With agency inputs)

 

 

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