Topic > Analysis of Liquor Ban in Bihar, India

The liquor ban in Bihar was one of the important decisions taken by the Chief Minister of Bihar in favor of the weaker section of the society in the state. This decision helped save the income of the poor and used it in family development. A lot of money was invested by the poor in the name of alcohol consumption, which results in violence against women, disturbance on the streets and obstacle in the path of children's education. According to a survey, people of Bihar are so addicted to liquor that even after the ban they bring liquor from neighboring states and people are still busy supplying liquor in the state. A survey conducted by NGO "PRAYAS" Gramin Samiti, Anisabad, Patna clarifies that liquor ban in Bihar has helped village women to save their husband's monthly income and promote income deposit with the help of JEEVIKA groups. At the moment they are not only depositing money but also creating granary stores to help them in cases of hunger. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has imposed total liquor ban. The ban came into effect from April 1, 2016. The new prohibitory law provides for a prison sentence of up to seven years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for consuming alcohol. Furthermore, the new law provides for capital punishment for those involved in the production or trade of illicit liquor if its consumption causes casualties. The law is described as draconian. Reports suggest that the liquor ban will lead to a huge loss of Rs 6,000 crore to the Bihar exchequer. Prohibition is the fulfillment of the election promise made by Nitish Kumar before the 2015 Assembly elections. Bihar had also attempted to implement prohibition when Karpoori Thakur was Chief Minister in 1977-78, but failed. It is never an easy decision for a state government to declare a ban on alcohol in India. This is mainly because liquor revenues are not easy to ignore and have consistently been the bulwark of government funds. Therefore, when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced that he intended to completely ban alcohol in the state, many were surprised as the action would lead to a huge financial loss for the poor state. According to a report, the state government may face a loss of up to Rs 6,000 crore in the absence of sales of country liquor and IMFL. But the Prime Minister forcefully said there had been an “overwhelming response” from women and children to the ban and it was difficult to ignore. The ban decision was also the fulfillment of election promises made by Kumar in 2015. Nitish Kumar described his government's decision as historic. He said, “The government will lose more than Rs 4,000 crore in revenue per year, but it is not a revenue-based decision.” People will now use the money invested in liquor to add nutrition to their plates, avoid disease and economic ruin. This offsets any revenue concerns. No hotels, bars or clubs will be able to serve drinks, although army personnel have been exempted for now. A ban on drinking in public places was also imposed. The state will implement guidelines that will allow consumption of neera, the palm-derived drink, before dawn. Palm juice itself acquires alcoholic properties after sunrise and is sold as toddy. While toddy consumption has not been banned, it will no longer be sold openly in places such as rural markets. To provide the liquor substitute, the Bihar government has collaborated with.