Patna, April 9: Chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh today conducted a videoconference session with all the district magistrates and superintendents of police to ensure prohibition was being enforced properly across the state.

The senior officials in the 38 districts were asked to strengthen their information network to conduct more raids and hold speedy trials to put violators and offenders behind bars.

"The chief secretary instructed the officials to maintain strict vigil on the liquor mafia and consumption of alcohol through information from as many sources as possible," said a senior official who was part of the meeting. "As of now, most raids are being conducted based on information received at the control rooms. The police have been asked to start looking for liquor-related offences on their own."

Today, the officers were also asked to follow the excise department notification issued in 1991 for sale of toddy to tide over any confusion.

The senior official said: "There were several confusions regarding regulations for selling toddy in many districts. The matter was raised during the videoconference and the chief secretary asked all the district magistrate to follow the 1991 guidelines."

A senior official in the excise department claimed that the notification related to sale of toddy states that it should be mostly for self-consumption and beyond certain specified limits from markets and public places.

At the 30-minute meeting - attended by principal secretary, excise and prohibition, K.K. Pathak among others - district magistrates and superintendents of police were directed to open more de-addiction centres.

In Patna, sources said, a with 10-bed de-addiction centre would be opened at Patna Medical College and Hospital in addition to the one already operating at the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital.