Prashant Kishor criticises Nitish Kumar over ineffectiveness of liquor ban

Patna, Oct 17 (IANS) Jan Suraaj Chief Prashant Kishor on Thursday criticised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the ineffectiveness of the state's liquor ban.

Referring to recent hooch tragedies in Siwan and Saran, he stated that while the government claims to have imposed a liquor ban, liquor is still widely available.

Kishor said that the prohibition is limited to the closure of liquor vends, but alcohol continues to be sold illegally in homes across the state.

“This unchecked availability of alcohol is harming all sections of society and the economy of the state, benefiting only corrupt officials, political leaders, and criminal mafias. This is the reason why Jan Suraaj advocates for the removal of the liquor ban in Bihar,” Kishor said while suggesting that the current policy has failed and only encourages illegal activities and corruption.

This criticism comes amid ongoing debates about the efficacy of the liquor ban in Bihar, which was introduced in 2016 by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as a measure to curb alcohol-related social issues. However, the policy has faced persistent allegations of corruption and ineffective enforcement.

Prashant Kishor has criticised the Nitish Kumar government, alleging that a "parallel system" has developed in Bihar where corrupt officials, political leaders, and mafias run an underground network profiting from the illegal alcohol trade.

“This illicit operation is costing the state treasury approximately ₹20,000 crore annually,” he said.

Kishor highlighted how previous tragedies, such as the one in Saran about a year and a half ago, have claimed more than 70 lives, yet similar incidents continue to occur.

He said that this demonstrates how government officials are complicit with liquor mafias, allowing them to sell any type of alcohol in exchange for bribes, without regard for the tragic consequences, including fatalities and serious health issues like blindness.

“The corrupt officials and leaders are allegedly allowing liquor mafias to sell any kind of liquor whether it is good or bad or spurious to get their commission,” Kishor said.

He further condemned the government for its lack of response to these tragedies, stating, “No leaders or ministers are ready to visit the affected areas to console grieving families. The actual death toll from these incidents is higher than official figures, based on accounts from locals but the government is insensitive.”

Meanwhile, Bihar DGP Alok Raj claimed 25 people have lost their lives in the hooch tragedies in Siwan and Saran. “20 people have lost their lives in Siwan and 5 in Saran districts,” he said.

The incidents occurred on Tuesday evening, in the areas that come under Bhagwanpur Bazar block in Siwan and Mashrakh block in Saran.

--IANS

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