Bihar CM Nitish Kumar announced liquor ban in 2016. After the 2015 elections, people of Bihar, especially women voters of Mr. Kumar were eager for the announcement of liquor ban in Bihar as it was his electoral promise during the follow-up to the 2015 legislative elections.
Mr. Kumar announced fully ban on liquor including “taari”. The loss Bihar government faced because of liquor ban was managed by increasing road tax and property tax. However, the selling and buying of illegal liquor started from the day liquor was banned in Bihar.
From time to time, there are reports of seizure of illegal liquor. Many officials of Bihar Police were also suspended for selling seized liquor but at the end of the day, the business of illegal liquor is settled and allowed to thrive in exchange for a small percentage of profits as bribe to highly-placed administrative officials and Bihar Police officials.
Death Via Poisonous Alcohol
Liquor is just one call away in Bihar literally as via just one call, the liquor will be at your doorstep with extra private tax. The home delivery of liquor is the new normal of Bihar.
Recently, the news of the death of 16 peasants in Deoraj in Lauriya, W. Champaran raised the issue of liquor ban in Bihar once again. 16 peasants were dead due to poisonous consumption of liquor. The death tragedy reflected the attitude of Bihar government, administration and police towards the enforcement of liquor ban in Bihar.
Many breweries were shut down by Local DM Shri. Kundan Kumar after this tragedy. Some policemen of Lauriya Police Station were also suspended. Local dealers were taken into police custody. However, the real question is how can any brewery run in a dry state so freely that everyone knows about it except Bihar Police and the administration.
While talking to a local delivery boy of illegal liquor, we found many shocking facts, which directly question the quality of law and order enforced by Nitish’s police. Ramesh said that there is a rate chart of commission on every bottle of liquor at the nearest police Station.
He claimed that 90% liquor sale happens with police knowledge. He also said that Bihar will never become a dry state because the roots of liquor mafia are very deep and includes powerful politicians of Bihar.
Local DM Kundan Kumar, on the death tragedy of Deoraj, said that “We have been informed that around 8 people died mysteriously in a village in the past 2-3 days. Their family members and villagers have not mentioned alcohol consumption. FIR has been lodged and the probe is underway” to ANI.
Deputy CM Renu Devi said that, “The investigation is underway. Officers concerned are working on it. The locals are not ready to talk about it. We are closely monitoring the situation,” to ANI while RJD Supremo Shri Lalu Yadav tweeted and blamed Nitish Kumar by claiming that many of his lawmakers are running a parallel economy of over twenty thousand crores in Bihar. Only the poor and innocent people are jailed by Nitish’s Police, he added.
The investigation is underway. Officers concerned are working on it. The locals are not ready to talk about it. We are closely monitoring the situation: Bihar Deputy CM Renu Devi on the deaths of 8 people at a village in West Champaran pic.twitter.com/PdpMTGSZ1E
— ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2021
Not An Isolated Incident
The NFHS-5 report said 15.5% of all men (that is, above 15 years of age in this case) consume alcohol in Bihar. Liquor consumption is higher in rural areas than in urban Bihar. Percentage of people consuming alcohol in rural Bihar stood at 15.8% in the NFHS-5, while the same in urban regions stood at 14%.
In Maharashtra, where prohibition is not in place, 13.9% men consume alcohol. Both rural and urban areas of Maharashtra have lower liquor consumption ratio in comparison to Bihar. In the urban centres of Maharashtra, 13% population consume liquor, the percentage goes up to 14.7% in rural areas.
This clearly shows how despite the liquor ban, it is not really banned and a good percentage of people are consuming liquor in Bihar.
According to an alcohol delivery executive who wishes to stay anonymous, the private taxes on delivery or sales of liquor allegedly go into the coffers of the Bihar CM and his officials including the Bihar police and administration. There is still a question being raised about Mr. Kumar as to how far will he go to enjoy the CM chair and ruin the economy while emptying the pockets of people.