Patna, Feb. 7: The state government is planning to make prohibition laws harsher by incorporating life sentence into it for persons involved in large-scale smuggling and bootlegging.

The decision stems from worry over increasing influx of liquor from other states to Bihar. "Such huge quantity of liquor is coming in despite a strong Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016," prohibition, excise and registration minister Abdul Jalil Mastan said. "We feel it should be made stronger. We are thinking of incorporating life imprisonment for smugglers compromising prohibition in the state."

Mastan was talking on the sidelines of the 96th foundation day ceremony of the Bihar Legislative Assembly in Patna. To incorporate life sentence, the state government will have to amend the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act 2016 that was passed and implemented from October 2 last year.

Though the new Act is in force in Bihar, it is hanging fire after being challenged by various persons in the Patna High Court. The cases are now pending hearing in the Supreme Court after it asked all of them to be bunched together and sent to it. The apex court is already hearing a special leave petition filed by the state government against the Patna High Court order quashing the Bihar Excise and Prohibition (Amendment) Act 2016, which was brought in to enforce partial prohibition from April 1 and total prohibition from April 5 last year.

Mastan, however, said that excise and police officials were doing their job attentively - conducting raids, arresting culprits and seizing liquor.

The Nitish government had earlier considered amending liquor laws, after various sections called them "draconian", but the idea was shelved as a thriving liquor smuggling racket is striking roots. Excise department sources said the state is considering harsher punishment for police and excise officials found conniving with liquor smugglers and bootleggers.