Patna: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday expressed concern about smuggling of liquor into the state through road and river ways and asked officials to take necessary steps to check it. He also gave directions to destroy the entire seized alcohol in the state by September 30.

"Initiate the process to establish more check posts if needed in light of reports coming from five to seven districts," Nitish said. "Liquor is also being smuggled through rivers and reports regarding this are coming especially from Patna, Vaishali and Chhapra districts. The superintendents of police of these three districts should hold meetings and take necessary steps to stop this."

He also asked the top police brass to fix responsibility of 'river police stations' that have been formed by the state government.

Nitish was speaking while chairing a high-level review of prohibition at his 1 Aney Marg official residence. Prohibition, excise and registration minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav, chief secretary Deepak Kumar, director general of police (DGP) K.S. Dwivedi, principal secretary of home and prohibition, excise and registration department Amir Subhani and several senior officials were present.

Iterating that there will be no compromise on prohibition, he asserted the need to implement it with complete dedication. He pointed that the state government has laid the foundation for social reform through ban on liquor and the campaign will be run with more strength on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary on October 2.

"All the country and foreign liquor that has been seized kept at police stations and other places should be destroyed by September 30. This should be ensured. Any liquor seized later on has to be destroyed within 15 days of its seizure," Nitish said.

He asked the officials to keep an eye on people like distributors, retailers and small grocery store owners in villages who were previously in the liquor trade - to find out what they were doing at present.

Nitish's instructions assume significance in the light of reports of rising smuggling of liquor into the state which shares its borders with Jharkhand, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal. The reports also betray a nexus between liquor mafia, politicians and police and excise officials, out to compromise prohibition in the state.

"The superintendents of police should take immediate action against station house officers (SHOs) who indulge in wrongdoings. If there is solid evidence against them then they have no right to remain in government service. The SHOs had promised in writing that they won't allow prohibition to get compromised in their areas," Nitish said.

The chief minister said that maximum liquor coming to Bihar is from Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh and other states and pointed at the need to reach to their source. He directed the DGP, home department principal secretary, additional director general of the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) and IG (Prohibition) to meet every month so that any issue on the liquor ban front is quickly dealt with.

Nitish also interacted with all divisional commissioners, inspector generals, deputy inspector generals, district magistrates and SPs through video conferencing on the occasion. He directed the district magistrates and SPs to hold meetings every 15 days to review prohibition.