E-Paper
Chirag's party writes to Bihar governor for president's rule to prevent hooch tragedy
Bihar, a state with stringent prohibition law against the sale and consumption of alcohol, frequently witnesses deaths resulting from the consumption of illicit liquor.
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Friday said the party has written to Bihar governor Phagu Chauhan to recommend the president’s rule in the state to prevent deaths due to consumption of spurious liquor. Bihar, a state with stringent prohibition law against the sale and consumption of alcohol, frequently witnesses deaths resulting from the consumption of illicit liquor. Bihar’s Saran district reported 15 deaths this week in alleged hooch tragedies.
“We have written to the governor to recommend the president's rule in Bihar in order to stop more deaths due to consumption of spurious liquor,” news agency ANI quoted Chirag Paswan as saying.
Pawar, a bitter critic of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, however, recently supported the prohibition drive even as some partners of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) demanded a review of the liquor ban. Former Bihar chief minister and HAM-S president Jitan Ram Manjhi questioned the alcohol ban in Bihar, requesting the chief minister to rethink the implementation of the prohibition laws.
"The chief minister should rethink the implementation of prohibition. Only poor people are being caught and harassed. Those who are involved in the illegal liquor trade racket are not being arrested. I have a difference of opinion with Nitish ji on this issue. 70 % of the people who are being caught are poor,” Manjhi had said.
Saran hooch tragedy: Toll climbs to 15, SHO suspended
Nitish Kumar banned the sale of liquor in the state and criminalised its consumption in 2016. The government has been facing criticism over the frequent hooch tragedies and mounting legal cases and huge pendency. HT reported that the government is now considering relaxing some of the stringent provisions to provide relief for first-time offenders.
The excise and prohibition department has also initiated an exercise to conduct a social audit of the impact of the liquor ban on the lives of women and people in general. The survey will be undertaken by the panchayati raj chair at Chanakya Law University.
