Bihar: Nitish Kumar promises to ban liquor if he is re-elected as chief minister

As polling season approaches, out come the grand promises. Acceding to the demands made by the women of his state, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday promised to impose a ban on liquor when he forms the government next time. Kumar’s promise came in response to demands made by some women in the midst of his address at a Village Dialogue Programme of the Social Welfare department. [caption id=“attachment_1529959” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Nitish Kumar. Reuters.[/caption] “When I form government next time, a ban would be imposed on liquor,” Kumar said much to the glee of the gathered women. The Chief Minister in his speech highlighted his government’s efforts for empowerment of women. Several women, most of them Dalits or belonging to other backward castes, have been protesting against increased liquor consumption and have demanded a ban on it. They have been demanding full prohibition in the state, complaining that the state’s liberal excise policy has led to liquor dens cropping up in every corner of the impoverished state. Kumar had earlier refused this demand, saying prohibition was not a feasible option for the state government as it earns nearly Rs 2,500 crore every year through the taxes on the sale of alcohol. At present, sale of liquor in Bihar accounts for a sizeable chunk of tax revenue. “In 2014-15, the state generated a revenue of over Rs 3,300 crore through liquor sales against the total revenue of Rs 25,621 crore it earned through its own taxes. The state has set a target of Rs 4,000 crore under this head in 2015-16 against the total revenue target of Rs 30,785 crore. From where would such huge money come if prohibition is implemented here?"  a senior bureaucrat told The Telegraph. The announcement is likely to give a new twist to the campaigning by the alliance of the ruling Janata Dal-United, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and the opposition combine of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Lok Janshakti Party, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party and Hindustani Awam Morcha.

The chief minister also said that he had tried to fulfil whatever promises he made in the last two assembly polls. “Nitish Kumar’s track record is that he has implemented what he has promised for the sake of Bihar’s development,” state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sharwan Kumar, considered close to Nitish Kumar, said. However, history of prohibition bans in India has proved to be ineffectual. Several states that imposed prohibition for electoral dividends like Haryana and Andhra Pradesh had to later lift the bans after huge losses in revenue.

The Opposition has come out in criticism as to why the current government is not implementing the ban immediately.  “Why should he wait for three months to implement prohibition? It will take only a few minutes to enforce it,” said BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi to TV channels on Thursday.

In August last year, the Congress-led government in Kerala announced that within 10 years, it will be completely free of  alcohol, and it hasn’t been challenged in the Supreme Court. Despite the state having the highest per capita income in the country, hundreds of bars have been forced to shut down across the state, and alcohol is now served only in five-star hotels. Next to be shut down will be government-run liquor stores over the next decade. This same pattern could be imposed in Nitish’s home state.

Firspost’s G Pramod Kumar earlier stated in connection with the Kerala ban on alcohol, “Granted that Kerala indeed has a drinking problem, but a blanket ban on liquor is not a solution. The government abetted drinking and profited from it for years by setting up state-run liquor shops and allowing the mushrooming of bars." 

(With PTI and IANS input)