This Holi, police will be extra watchful to ensure that the festival of colours is literally dry.

Bootlegging has been a major cause of concern for cops. To ensure no citizen can fetch liquor from bootleggers this colour carnival when the spirits are usually high and there's a demand for liquor consumption even among those who drink occasionally, the police have been asked to carry out raids to check bootlegging and also be ready to face disciplinary action if liquor trade is reported from their jurisdiction.

On Monday, Shashtri Nagar police seized 485 litres of liquor from an empty plot beside a retired professor's house.

Rakesh Dubey, additional superintendent of police (ASP), said: "Personnel will be deputed at various places. There will be cops in mufti keeping tab on activities of people."

Dubey said police will conduct raids at places where social organisations arrange Holi Milan events only to check whether alcohol is being consumed or not. The police will also keep an eye on party hotspots and clubs organising Holi Milans.

Since this will be the first Holi after prohibition was imposed, the Patna police have asked station house officers of the police stations to keep tab on bootleggers. Policemen will be deputed at slums where allegedly country liquor is manufactured.

Sources said cops are keeping vigil on slum areas in rural areas from where liquor manufacturing has been reported in the past. After the Govindpur Mushari incident last month, when a youth was hackled to death by bootleggers, the police will keep an eye on such areas. The police during raids had seized more than a lakh litres of country liquor during a three-day raid at Govindpur Mushari.

Dubey said: "Action will be taken against police officers if there are any lapses on their part." The police directive comes after Vikash Kumar, a driver associated with Phulwarisharif police station, was arrested. Vikash used to run police vehicles on ad hoc basis. Vikash has been booked under various sections of the Bihar Excise (Amendment) Act, 2016, for assisting and supporting illegal liquor traders.

In raids conducted by the police in the past one week, the police have seized 1,133.2 litres of country-made liquor and 907 litres of foreign liquor in Patna district. The police in the past one week have also arrested 42 people in this connection. The biggest seizure was made from Beur where 203 litres of country liquor was seized.

At Bahadurpur last week, the police had arrested two persons and seized 195 litres of foreign liquor. Also, 612 litres of foreign liquor was seized by Dulhin Bazaar police station last week.