Sriram November 26, 2015

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has made a sensation statement on liquor and said that it will be banned in the State from next year April.

inline_953_http://indread.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Alcohol-Ban-in-Bihar-from-Next-Year-April.jpgBihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has made a sensation statement on liquor. Nitish Kumar has elected as a chief minister once again and recently his part won in Bihar elections. Before elections, he made a promise to the women that, if his party come into power again, he would like to ban alcohol completely and make Bihar as dry state.

Now, by following his words, he has announced that from April 1st, 2016 onwards there are no liquor shops and the alcohol sales will be completely stopped.

Mr Nitish said at a function “In 1977-78 we tried to execute ban but it was not effective. But I feel women are suffering more than others (because of alcohol abuse)… I have instructed my officials to start working towards this and implement this from the next financial year”.

This is the first major announcement by Mr Kumar since he was sworn in as Chief Minister for the fifth time last week after a spectacular election victory. It is not clear whether the ban will be restricted to country liquor or will include all alcohol.

In July, months before the state polls, Mr Kumar had faced objections at a function from women, who shouted complaints about country liquor addiction in villages. The Chief Minister had then assured them that if he returned to power, he would ban alcohol. “These women are correct about alcohol. If I come to power, I will have it stopped,” he had said.

The Bihar government earned nearly Rs. 3,500 crore last year through taxes on the sale of alcohol, sources say. It is not known how the government plans to make up for this loss of revenue.

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