Bihar govt announces 4 lakh compensation to families affected by hooch tragedies

At a press conference, Krishna Paswan, joint commissioner, prohibition excise and registration department, said that the proposals for payment of compensation to selected families in East Champaran and Nalanda have been sent to the CM secretariat

The Bihar government on Thursday said that 38 families who have lost their family members in the hooch tragedies would be given compensation of Rs.4 lakh each as ex-gratia compensation from the chief minister relief fund.

In Bihar, a complete ban on liquor was imposed in the state in April 2016 (Representative Photo)

Following the East Champaran hooch incident in April this year, the Bihar government made provision for compensation to be provided to families of the deceased victims of hooch tragedies from the CM relief fund. There was previously no provision for compensation to families affected by hooch tragedies. More than 155 people have died across Bihar due to the consumption of hooch since November 2021.

In the first phase, 26 families from East Champaran and six families from Nalanda would be given compensation of Rs.4 lakh each whose kin died in the tragedy based on the recommendation from the district magistrate (DM) of respective districts, officials of prohibition, excise and registration department said.

At a press conference, Krishna Paswan, joint commissioner, prohibition excise and registration department, said that the proposals for payment of compensation to selected families in East Champaran and Nalanda have been sent to the CM secretariat, and the payout of the compensation would be made through DMs of respective districts within this week.

Several incidents of deaths due to consumption of spurious liquor has taken place across Bihar since the liquor was banned in 2016 by the Nitish Kumar-led government.

In Bihar, a complete ban on liquor was imposed in the state in April 2016. Under the excise act, there is a complete prohibition on the manufacturing, bottling, distribution, transportation, collection, storage, sale, possession, or purchase of any intoxicant liquor.