The state government is trying to talk to Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh to either close down liquor shops mushrooming along the border with Bihar or pull them back, as these are proving a deterrent to implementation of prohibition here.

Bihar has adopted a two-pronged strategy. Senior officers are corresponding with their counterparts in neighbouring states while officials in border districts are holding meetings with the administration on the other side.

"There is a clause in the Jharkhand Excise Act, which prohibits opening of liquor shops within 3.2km of its border with other states," Bihar registration, excise and prohibition principal secretary K.K. Pathak said. "Our chief minister and chief secretary have already written to their counterparts in Jharkhand. I have also spoken to the officials there so that the issue is addressed."

However, there has been no cooperation from Jharkhand. Its chief minister, Raghubar Das, has gone on record criticising Nitish for opening thousands of liquor shops in rural areas.

Pathak said border areas were a challenge. He said Bengal was cooperating but other neighbouring states were not. Uttar Pradesh has slashed excise duty on all types of liquor by up to 50 per cent to make it cheaper, and has simultaneously increased minimum quantity of liquor to be sold compulsorily by shops close to the Bihar border by 50 per cent. "Earlier, rise in this quota in UP was around five per cent every year. It seems that it is targeting revenue deflected from Bihar," Pathak added.

Excise assistant commissioner Omprakash Mandal, who also serves as the department's public relations officer, said chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh had written to Uttar Pradesh chief secretary about liquor shops close to the Bihar border.

Officials said when Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000, it adopted the Bihar Excise Act. Rule 51 of the Act ordains that "shops shall not be licensed for the retail sale of any intoxicants within 3.2km of the border of any other adjoining state".

But Jharkhand has openly flouted this rule by giving licences to new liquor shops along the border. There have been reports of people crossing over to Jharkhand since total prohibition.

Though there is no such rule related to state borders in the Uttar Pradesh Excise Act, district officials from Bihar have held meetings with their counterparts on the other side over the matter.

Saran district magistrate Deepak Anand told The Telegraph that a meeting on the liquor shop issue was held last week with district magistrate (DM) and superintendent of police (SP) of Balia district in Uttar Pradesh.

"Gopalganj (Bihar) DM and SP also took part in it. We requested the Balia district administration to pull back the shops that are close to the border with our state," Deepak said.

Buxar district magistrate Raman Kumar said a meeting was held with officials of the adjoining Ghazipur district in Uttar Pradesh, after prohibition came into effect in Bihar.

The excise department has also provided 20 breathalysers to the Sashastra Seema Bal to check people crossing into Bihar after drinking alcohol. It is procuring 200 more such gadgets.

Rail, road vigil

Bhagalpur district magistrate (DM) Adesh Titarmare has instructed Bhagalpur excise superintendent B.S. Dubey to intensify raids on vehicles and trains coming from Jharkhand to stop smuggling of liquor into Bihar. He had conducted a special review meeting with officials and ordered Government Railway Police personnel to coordinate with Jharkhand government officials.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY GAUTAM SARKAR IN BHAGALPUR