A year-old Bihar prohibition faces challenges

Kundan Dom, a Mahadalit from Sultanganj, had acquired a dubious reputation because of his drinking habit.

But all that has changed now. A reformed alcoholic, he returns to his home before dusk. His domestic life has also improved as he no longer creates a ruckus at home.

Dom’s reformation is not a lone instance. A number of people in Bihar have kicked the habit after the state government introduced total prohibition last year. Over the year, 48,000 people have been arrested for violating the liquor ban.

Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), along with other research organisations, claimed that the quality of life of the state’s residents, especially women, took a turn for the better after the ban.

With the government preparing to now focus on a de-addiction drive, the political class’ views on the ban have changed.

The unanimity shown by all parties on the floor of the state legislature for prohibition has disappeared. While none of them want to lose out on the credit for bringing in the ban, the Opposition is highly critical of what it terms as ‘draconian’ provisions in the new excise law. BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi terms the ban a ‘complete failure’ due to “poor implementation of a good idea.”

Although the prohibition has now completed a year in the state, the liquor mafia continues to push in truckloads of liquor and ardent tipplers are able to find ways to hoodwink the authorities. According to police records, between April 5, 2016 and April 3, 2017, state police seized 3,95,664 litres of alcohol.

“There are challenges. The government is committed to laying hands on the big fish and exposing the alleged police-politician nexus,” said chief secretary Anjani Kumar.

While time will only tell the political fallout of the ban, chief minister Nitish Kumar’s initiative has certainly travelled beyond Bihar.

PM Narendra Modi praised Kumar by calling his move “a bold step for social change (that) few would dare to even touch” during one his visit to the state.

Kumar himself admitted that prohibition, after its success in Bihar, had the potential to be accepted nationally and was even ready to spearhead it.

The BJP, however, continues to highlight what it claims are the drive’s faults. “The government should clarify how the commercial taxes department fell short of around ₹3500-crore target when the chief minister claims ₹10,000crore savings have gone to other household expenditure,” Sushil Modi said, alleging that flawed implementation of the ban had given room to a thriving parallel economy of illegal liquor trade.

The Kerala government said on Tuesday that it will seek time from the Supreme Court to implement its order banning the sale of liquor along highways, taking into account the “special situation” in the state.

The decision to move the apex court was taken at a held by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, excise minister G Sudhakaran and top officials, including the excise commissioner Rishi Raj Singh. It was also resolved in the meeting to shift as many liquor outlets as possible in accordance with the law, sources said.

“The circumstances in Kerala are different from other states and it needs time to shift liquor outlets and implement the directive,” Sudhakaran said after the meeting. PTI