Bihar goes dry

Bihar goes dry: Five things you must know about liquor ban

No license would be granted for sale and consumption of alcohol in places like hotels, clubs and bars in towns and cities too with immediate effect in Bihar. (Shutterstock)

---

Bihar was on Tuesday declared a dry state with the Nitish Kumar government imposing a total ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol including India Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) with immediate effect.

The decision, announced by chief minister Nitish Kumar after a Cabinet meeting, which comes into effect from Tuesday makes it clear that no alcohol can be legally consumed in all of Bihar, including bars and restaurants.

The Bihar government had banned sale and consumption of country and spiced liquor in rural areas from April 1 this year, but had allowed sale of IMFL in towns and cities.

Bihar imposes total alcohol ban, turns dry state from today

The sale of absolutely any type of alcohol, including Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) - not just country liquor - will now be completely banned in Bihar immediately, the state government said on Tuesday.

The decision on the ban on any type of alcohol was taken this afternoon by the Bihar cabinet, four days after a ban began on the production and sale of country liquor, or desi liquor.

Bihar is now the fourth dry state after Gujarat, Kerala and Nagaland.

"A notification is being issued by the excise and prohibition department," Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said Tuesday as he came out of a cabinet meeting.

Prohibition in Bihar: Good or bad?

The Bihar government gets revenue of nearly Rs 2,000 crores from the sale of IMFL and revenue of around Rs 4,000 crores from country liquor sales in 2015-16.

Kumar has repeatedly said his government would do everything to discourage the drinking habit as it severely hits the poorest of the poor. The poor consume liquor, leading to family problems including domestic violence, affecting their children's education.

"Women are suffering more than anyone else due to increasing liquor consumption," he said.

In a first for Bihar, all members of the Bihar assembly and the legislative council recently adopted a resolution that they would not consume liquor.

During assembly elections, Nitish had promised that he will start a people's movement against liquor in the state and ensure that the ban on liquor is effectively implemented.