Patna, July 2: The government would set up special prohibition courts for trial and prosecution of people accused of violating the blanket ban on liquor, as it readies a new and harsher excise law, which will be tabled in the forthcoming monsoon session of the state legislature.

Chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh said: "The new excise act we are bringing will have provisions for establishing of special courts to deal with excise and prohibition-related cases. Incorporating the provisions in the act will ensure that the state government does not need permission from any other authority for setting up such courts."

Anjani said Patna High Court would provide personnel for the special courts that will be set up across the state.

The law department has already gone through the nitty-gritty of the proposal for such courts and approved it.

Sources in the excise department said the move for special courts for prohibition has been necessitated because of the large number of arrests made by the excise department and police in the first three months of prohibition, which was implemented in the state on April 5.

"On an average, over 2,500 people are being arrested every month across the state for flouting provisions of the prohibition act. This is a huge number and has made it necessary to have separate special courts for prosecution and trial. On the other hand, top officials of our department are of the opinion that timely punishment of the violators of liquor ban will have a positive impact in the state and deter people further from drinking," an excise official said on condition of anonymity.

The official added that that on an average, a person accused of violating prohibition has to remain for 52 days in jail before being granted bail by the courts. The top officials of the excise department are of the opinion that arrangements should be done to increase the average jail time.

Since establishing special courts take time, the state government has decided to go for designated excise courts in the districts till the time they are set up. These will be headed by additional district judges, and will help expedite taking up of cases against the accused.

The excise department has also requested the law department to provide two special public prosecutors in each district to deal exclusively with cases related to liquor ban and oppose bail applications moved by the accused. "Information have been received that in some districts, including Purnea and Siwan, the public prosecutors did not oppose bail petitions in excise cases because of which the courts granted bail. We have also requested to remove such public prosecutors immediately," a senior excise official said.