Bihar to ban liquor from April next year

Reportedly, the women were angry over the alarming addiction to country liquor in Bihar villages.

It was not immediately clear whether a possible ban would include all alcohol or be limited to homemade or country liquor. How and when this loss of revenue would be covered up is yet to be known. By keeping the promise made during the election campaign, the recently re-elected CM has made Bihar the fourth dry state after Gujarat, Nagaland and Manipur. Last year, Kerela too had announced its aim to be alcohol-free within 10 years. Hundreds of bars were forced to shut down across the state, and alcohol is now served only in five-star hotels.

On Monday, soon after he took over as the state’s excise and prohibition minister, Abdul Jalil Mastan, said Bihar would impose a ban on liquor in state within six months.

“More than the obvious financial impact, this is a directional negative if rest of the state governments emulate Bihar and Kerala, in our view”, analysts at brokerage house Motilal Oswal said. Mastan said the demand for prohibition in Bihar had been made by many.

“We want to bring new policies to ban liquor from next year”.