PIL challenges Bihar’s total ban on alcohol

Ex-serviceman A. N. Singh filed the PIL a day after the Nitish Kumar ministry declared Bihar a total dry state

April 06, 2016 04:25 pm | Updated October 18, 2016 02:25 pm IST - Patna:

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed today in the Patna High Court challenging the Bihar government’s decision to clamp total ban on sale and consumption of alcohol in the state.

An ex-serviceman A. N. Singh filed the PIL in the Patna High Court, a day after the Nitish Kumar ministry declared Bihar a total dry state.

The petition contended that the state government’s decision violated human rights of a citizen about what to eat and drink. The writ described the penal provision in the Amended Excise Act of Bihar, which was passed in the state Legislative Assembly on March 31 last, as “draconian, arbitrary and malafide” as it violated Article 14, 19, 21 and 22 of the Constitution.

The date for hearing the petition has not yet been fixed.

The petition came a day after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced the state cabinet’s decision to impose total ban on sale and consumption of liquor including Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) in the state with immediate effect.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.