Ahead of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s high-level meeting on prohibition on November 16, the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC), the apex body of alcohol producing companies, has sought an end to prohibition in the State.
Also read | ‘Dry’ Bihar faces spurious liquor menace
In the wake of over
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‘Heavy price’
In a four-page letter to the Chief Minister and leaders of all three other constituents of the ruling NDA coalition, the CIABC said, “Bihar is paying a heavy price for its prohibition policy because of availability of spurious liquor, hooch deaths, rise of liquor mafias and huge loss of government revenues”.
It further said that “stringent implementation of prohibition laws has threatened private sector from investing in business and industries in the State and that leads to unemployment”.
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The CIABC listed out only two positive and 10 negative impacts of prohibition in the State.
“The awareness among people about excess liquor drinking and problems related with its misuse has been increased. Liquor consumption and misbehaviour related with it at public places has been stopped,” said the letter as a positive fallout of prohibition.
Revenue loss
On the negative impact, the Confederation said, “In last five years of prohibition Bihar government incurred loss of possible ₹30-35,000 crore revenue and it was because of revenue crunch Bihar’s position in development index in comparison to other States has been at far behind position”.
“There has been rise of liquor mafias, people started drinking spurious liquor for non-availability of legal liquor and over 100 of them have lost their lives; there has been 450,000 cases related with liquor in the court which has slowed down their legal process, over three lakh people were arrested under prohibition laws and most of the poor families lost their sole bread earner; about 40,000 people became unemployed due to prohibition and there has been huge impact on State’s tourism and leisure industry,” said the letter. It also added that, “due to resource crunch and lack of investment in private sector Bihar remains the poorest state of India”.
In its suggestions, the CIABC said, “The government can impose cess on sale of liquor to fund alcohol de-addiction and rehabilitation centres and put liquor under State control.” It also said that “the State government can direct liquor factories to hire 50% of their workforce as women which would lead their economic self-reliance and empowerment”.
The letter also said that “90% of illegal sale of liquor is among poor and backward people and Bihar’s loss has turned out to be neighbouring State’s gain due to increase in liquor sale in border areas”.
“Prohibition has never become successful neither in America, Europe, Gulf countries nor in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana... There is no prohibition as such in Gujarat as well,” claimed the CIABC.
Ahead of Tuesday’s review meeting, Mr. Kumar promised a detailed review of the prohibition policy.
Refusing to reconsider the ban, he said, “If people are dying by consuming illicit liquor then they must know how bad this is. They should not drink liquor. The government will also launch vigorous awareness campaign about ill-effect of liquor consumption,” he said while speaking to the media in Patna.