Bihar Liquor Ban: Govt Announces New Measures For First-Time And Repeat Offenders. Details Here

Prohibition was imposed in April 2016 in keeping with an electoral promise Nitish Kumar had made to the state's women ahead of the assembly polls held the year before.

Patna: Cracking whip against alcohol consumers in Bihar, where liquor is banned under the Prohibition Act, state government on Monday announced new measures against first-timers and repeat offenders. Sanjay Kumar, ACS Education and Cabinet of Bihar on Monday said that if a person is caught drinking alcohol for the first time, he or she will be fined Rs 2000 to Rs 5000. Kumar also said that the person has to undergo 30-days imprisonment if they do not agree to pay the fine. “If a person is caught drinking alcohol for 2nd time, he/she to undergo 1 yr imprisonment,” he said.

Earlier on Thursday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that people who drink alcohol are great sinners, good for nothing, and do not deserve to be called Indians. Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, Kumar recalled the revulsion “Bapu” had for alcohol and railed against critics who questioned liquor ban in Bihar, which has been in force since 2016.

“Those who criticise us for bringing prohibition, think they are kaabil (accomplished). Actually they are maha ayogya (good for nothing) and mahapaapi (great sinners),” Kumar had fumed. The CM also said that it was Gandhi who had helped the country get Independence and, as such, those who disagreed with him on the issue of alcohol “cannot be called Hindustanis or Bharatiyas”. Prohibition was imposed in April 2016 in keeping with an electoral promise Nitish Kumar had made to the state’s women ahead of the assembly polls held the year before.

(With inputs from agencies)