Nitish tells Kerala to follow Bihar model prohibition

Says revenue loss, impact on tourism are not impediments

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar administering the oath at a conference of the KCBC Temperance Committee at Bharananganam on Friday.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has asked the Kerala government to follow the Bihar model in implementing prohibition.

“I call upon the State government to implement total prohibition in Kerala in one go rather than in a phased manner,” he said and added that the State government could send a study team to Bihar to evaluate the impact of prohibition there.

Inaugurating the 18th State conference of the Temperance Commission of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council, he said the excuses of revenue loss and adverse impact on tourism and difficulties in implementation being raised by certain quarters were not serious impediments if one had the resolve. “Slowly the nation is inching towards prohibition,” he said.

Mr. Kumar also came down on those States which are mulling denotification of national and State highways to circumvent a recent Supreme court order in this regard, and said it violated the spirit of the apex court order.

Those sceptical about implementation of prohibition in Bihar had pointed out an annual revenue loss of ₹5,000 crore. “However, I believe that the common people of the State are saving around ₹10,000 crore, which they would have otherwise spent on liquor,” Mr. Kumar said.

“This money is now being better utilised for augmenting family’s budget for food, clothing, education, other consumption needs and productive purposes,” he said.