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Regular-article-logo Monday, 19 May 2025

Liquor ban: Some shaken, some stirred

The government on Monday hinted at prohibition in the state. This follows a promise chief minister Nitish Kumar had made at SK Memorial Hall on July 9.

Shuchismita Chakraborty Published 24.11.15, 12:00 AM

The government on Monday hinted at prohibition in the state. This follows a promise chief minister Nitish Kumar had made at SK Memorial Hall on July 9. Nitish was sipping water after his speech when a section of women from the audience demanded action to check liquor menace in the state. Nitish first enquired from his cabinet colleague Shravan Kumar what the hullabaloo was all about. Told, he returned to the podium and said: “Your suggestion is very good. Next time I come to power I will ban it.” Asked about it again, while leaving the venue, he said: “I will do what I have said.”

If prohibition happens, it would be Bihar's second brush with it. The first time it was introduced was during the tenure of socialist chief minister Karpoori Thakur between 1977 and 1979. But once Thakur demitted office, pressure was put from the Janata Party he represented on his successor Ram Sundar Das, who then withdrew the decision. Also, old-timers recall prohibition could not be implemented effectively under Thakur. The ban led to mushrooming of liquor smugglers who made a killing selling alcohol at a premium.

In the years following Independence, complete prohibition was in place in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat and parts of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala. However, the potential loss in revenue that accrues from the sale of alcohol discouraged most states from enforcing prohibition on a long-term basis.

Promise of action triggered mixed reactions from residents. The Telegraph asked women from different walks of life their views.

 

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