New Delhi, Dec. 20: Liquor shops will turn into milk parlours when Bihar turns into a dry state from April next year as promised by chief minister Nitish Kumar. And, it has come from none other than Nitish himself.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the party's national executive meeting here, Nitish iterated his commitment to ban sale of all kinds of liquor in the state and said he had already asked the Bihar State Milk Co-operative Federation Ltd (Comfed) to examine feasibility and offer milk booths to liquor vendors across the state.
"I have already asked Comfed to do a feasibility study and offer milk parlours to tackle the issue of job loss due to liquor ban," Nitish said.
The chief minister said the move would further strengthen the co-operative movement in the state. He felt that since liquor shops when turned into milk parlours would do good business, as they are strategically located.
Traders describe Nitish's offer as a joke. "Even if we accept the chief minister's offer to sell products of Comfed, more popularly known by its brand name Sudha, we doubt the government will be able to supply products to 6,000 more outlets. In rural areas, who is going to purchase packed milk when milk from cows and buffaloes are available at cheaper rates," said a trader.
Nitish added that in the first phase, shops across the rural areas would be shut from April next year. In the municipal areas, Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) would be sold by the state's beverages corporation and no private tendering would be done. Finally, however, these IMFL shops too would be closed down to pave the way for a complete ban.
There are around 6,000 licensed outlets of foreign liquor in the state. "We are amused. The present excise policy is an underhand dealing with liquor manufacturers. Since the government has decided to sell liquor itself it should also start a foreign liquor manufacturing unit of its own," said Nawal Singh, president, Bihar Liquor Traders' Association.
Nitish reasserted that complete prohibition would be enforced but in phases. He asked the women, especially self-help groups, to launch an agitation against alcoholism.
A week ago, the liquor traders had met Nitish's ally and RJD chief Lalu Prasad complaining that the state government was about to take away their livelihood and around 25,000 people engaged in the trade would be jobless. They included liquor traders from Raghopur in Vaishali district from where Lalu's son and deputy chief minister Tejaswi has won. The traders complained that they had supported Tejaswi during the Assembly polls and now the government was taking away their business. Lalu suggested that they should sell milk and curd instead of liquor. The traders remained unmoved and an angry Lalu asked them to get out of his premises. The traders later protested in front of Nitish's residence.
The national executive of the party today congratulated Nitish and other top leaders of the party for the spectacular victory in Bihar and entrusted the task of uniting political parties across the country on the lines of the Grand Alliance in Bihar against the NDA government at the Centre.
Party general secretary and spokesperson K.C. Tyagi said they had appealed for unity among the anti-BJP political outfits in five states going to the polls next year. "On the lines of Grand Alliance in Bihar, we will try to unite the anti-BJP forces across the country and particularly in the five states going to the polls next year," Tyagi said.
The national executive felt that the Grand Alliance has attracted the country's attention and would cast an impact on the national politics. The JDU leaders resolved to make the alliance a success.
