Jitan Ram Manjhi again calls for a Gujarat-style liquor ban in Bihar

Patna, Aug 9 (IANS) Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) patron Jitan Ram Manjhi has once again urged Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary to reconsider the implementation of the state’s prohibition policy, advocating a liquor-ban model similar to that followed in Gujarat.

Speaking at a meeting of the national executive of HAM’s youth wing in Patna, Manjhi said the law prohibiting alcohol consumption was sound in principle but alleged that its implementation at the police and administrative levels had led to irregularities.

Manjhi said he wanted to convey his message to Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and the Bihar government through the media.

Referring to Gujarat, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, he said that although alcohol is prohibited there, people do not experience the same difficulties and frustration that he believes are associated with prohibition in Bihar.

The HAM leader reiterated that he had been advocating for a Gujarat-style model of prohibition in Bihar for a long time.

According to Manjhi, the government needs to ensure effective monitoring and a more accountable administration so that officials do not misuse the prohibition law.

Despite being part of the NDA, Manjhi has repeatedly raised concerns about the implementation of Bihar’s prohibition policy.

He has alleged on several occasions that poor and vulnerable people are more likely to face action under the law, while influential individuals manage to evade enforcement.

Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, however, has already made it clear that the prohibition policy will not be withdrawn and that Bihar’s total liquor ban will remain in force.

Meanwhile, the state’s prohibition policy has also come under economic scrutiny.

A research paper by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has questioned whether Bihar’s liquor ban has fully achieved its intended objectives and examined the possible economic consequences of continuing the policy.

According to the study cited in the discussion, lifting prohibition could potentially increase Bihar’s internal revenue by around 14–15 per cent.

It also noted that the government currently incurs substantial expenditure on enforcement measures and efforts to curb the illicit liquor trade, costs that could potentially decline if prohibition were withdrawn.

–IANS

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