BD Singh
General manager of Hotel Maurya

Business will suffer because of the ban. Liquor is very important for the hospitality sector. People organise parties at our hotel and alcoholic drinks are generally a part of such evenings. Many of our guests come from other countries. There are also regular guests who come down to our restaurant for a drink. If the ban comes into place, we will definitely be affected and it will also send a wrong message to those coming from other countries. Banning liquor is okay but hotels must be exempt from such orders and the state government must think about it seriously.

 

Nawal Kishore Singh 
Liquor retailer

I don’t know what to say and how to react! If the government wants all the liquor shops to shut down, then so be it. I am one of the oldest liquor retailers in Bihar and until now I have been selling liquor and sustaining my family. Once the ban is in place, I will have to turn my liquor shop into a coffeeshop and look after my family.  The licence given to the shops by the state government lapses on March 31 next year. Going by the chief minister’s words, licences will not be renewed after that.

 

Diwakar Tejaswi 
General physician

It is a good decision. Liver related ailments caused by over-consumption of liquor have gone up and the situation in rural areas is even worse. There are many shops selling country-made and spurious liquor in rural areas across the state and general rural health is deteriorating with each passing day because of the consumption of such liquor. The government must, however, be lenient towards city dwellers and people living in towns who know how to manage 
their drink. A system should be derived for the same.

 

Ipshita Sharan 
Teacher, St Michael’s High School

I do not think that banning liquor will solve any problem as there is always an urge in young minds to go for things that are prohibited. Yet I appreciate the government’s stand. There are a few liquor shops near schools, which bothered us for so long. But I also think that banning liquor is the surest way of encouraging thugs to smuggle and sell illicit liquor. Educating students about the ill effects of liquor will create more impact. A liquor ban will never help in curbing alcohol consumption.

 

Manas Pandey
Student, Chanakya National Law University

Ban on liquor is nothing new. It is there in states like Gujarat too. I don’t think it is a good idea. People should have the right to eat and drink as they please and no one must interfere in that. The government cannot force people to stop drinking by bringing about a blanket ban. People consuming liquor are mainly adults and they know about the health hazards. Besides, the liquor industry is huge and it provides employment to many people. It also generates revenue for the government. 

 

Manas Pandey
Student, Chanakya National Law University

Ban on liquor is nothing new. It is there in states like Gujarat too. I don’t think it is a good idea. People should have the right to eat and drink as they please and no one must interfere in that. The government cannot force people to stop drinking by bringing about a blanket ban. People consuming liquor are mainly adults and they know about the health hazards. Besides, the liquor industry is huge and it provides employment to many people. It also generates revenue for the government. 

 

 

Pictures by Deepak Kumar and Ashok Sinha