Patna: Union minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha- Secular (HAM-S) patron Jitan Ram Manjhi has renewed his demand for changes to Bihar’s prohibition regime, urging chief minister Samrat Chaudhary to implement the liquor ban along the lines of the Gujarat model.
Speaking at a meeting of the HAM-S’s youth wing national executive in Patna, Manjhi said the law prohibiting alcohol was sound but alleged that problems persisted in its enforcement, particularly at the police level.
Manjhi appealed through the media to Samrat and the Bihar government to examine the Gujarat model of prohibition. He argued that although alcohol is banned in Gujarat, the state where Mahatma Gandhi was born, people there do not experience the same level of frustration that he associates with Bihar’s prohibition regime.
He also urged the chief minister to ensure that officials do not misuse the prohibition law and called for the administration to remain alert and effective in enforcing it.
Manjhi Has Repeatedly Sought Changes To Prohibition
Manjhi, despite being part of the NDA, has repeatedly called for changes to Bihar’s liquor ban. He has alleged that the prohibition law is disproportionately used against poor and innocent people, while influential politicians and officials who consume alcohol escape action.
His latest remarks come even after Chaudhary has made clear that liquor sales will not be permitted in Bihar and that total prohibition will continue.
The renewed demand also comes amid a wider debate over the state’s prohibition policy following the publication of a research paper by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER).
NCAER Study Questions Economic And Social Impact
The study argues that prohibition has not fully achieved its stated objectives and examines its economic and social consequences.
According to the paper, lifting the liquor ban could increase Bihar’s internal revenue by 14% to 15%. It also argues that the government incurs significant expenditure on enforcing prohibition and combating the illicit liquor trade, costs that could potentially fall if the ban were lifted.
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The study further claims that the illicit liquor trade has expanded since prohibition was introduced and that the number of alcohol consumers has increased. It also points to the use of other intoxicants as substitutes for alcohol.
The findings raise questions about whether the prohibition policy has achieved its intended social objectives, while also presenting arguments about its impact on government revenue and expenditure.
