Apex liquor body writes to Bihar govt, asks for withdrawal of prohibition
The letter further says that prohibition is known to have not worked earlier in other states like Haryana, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
Ahead of the November 16 meeting to review prohibition, the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC), the representative body of leading Indian alcohol companies, has written to the Bihar government and leaders from all the constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to end prohibition, as its ill-effects were outstripping its benefits and hooch tragedies were pointing to flow of spurious liquor in the absence of quality alcohol.
It has also suggested several steps to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to achieve the goals of helping women without adverse fallouts of prohibition in terms of revenue loss, spurt in spurious liquor manufacturing and sales of smuggled alcohol at an inflated price.
“Bihar is paying a heavy price for its prohibition policy in the form of proliferation of unlawful and spurious liquor, hooch tragedies, rise of crime syndicates and loss of legitimate government revenues. The government can impose special cess on sale of liquor to fund alcohol de-addiction and rehabilitation centres and put liquor trade under state control,” reads the letter from CIABC director general Vinod Giri, citing three presentations it had made before the CM to underline how prohibition, despite its good intent, was going astray with the emergence of liquor mafiosi.
Giri, who also hails from Patna, said that he has been consistently trying to bring the facts before the CM since 2019, as liquor mafiosi had managed to hamper whatever noble intentions the government had behind enforcing prohibition.
“Since imposition of prohibition in 2016, over one-lakh crore of liquor has been seized in the state. Even if the seizure rate is considered 10%, it means around 10-crore-litre of illicit liquor reached Bihar. Besides, the entire police force is engaged in enforcing prohibition, which means lack of attention on other cognisable offences. Strong enforcement has also created fear psychosis in the private sector,” the letter said.
Maintaining that the state is losing out on revenue from the legitimate liquor trade which is pegged at around ₹10,000 crore per annum, the CIABC has asked Kumar to direct liquor factories to hire 50% of their workforce as women which would lead to their economic self-reliance and empowerment.
Citing the National Family Health Survey 2019-20 report, the letter said it clearly states that Bihar consumes more liquor than Maharashtra, which proves that prohibition has not worked. “The report also suggests that 90% of illegal sale of liquor is among the poor and backward people and Bihar’s loss has turned out to be its neighbour’s gain due to increase in liquor sales in border areas,” it added.
The letter further says that prohibition is known to have not worked earlier in other states like Haryana, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. “Gujarat, by the way, does not have a complete ban as non-domiciles are permitted alcohol through licensed shops,” Giri added.
