Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, March 10
A team from Chhattisgarh landed in Patna on Friday to study complete prohibition in Bihar that could be implemented in the state.
The team includes 7 members of the Chhattisgarh Legislature Party led by former Minister of undivided Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Satyanarayan Sharma. The Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar felicitated the members when they called on him. Kumar briefed them on how the total liquor prohibition was implemented in the state.
He said prohibition had brought a drastic change in society. Kumar said that on July 9, 2015, he had attended a program where women demanded alcohol prohibition. “We had said that if our government is formed after the elections, we will implement liquor ban in the state,” the Chief Minister said.
After winning the elections, the government was formed and after that we implemented complete prohibition in Bihar from April 5, 2016. He said that he was running a campaign against liquor only after coming to the government. The state was earning Rs 5,000 crore annually from the liquor business. At the same time, people were spending Rs 10,000 crore on liquor. After the prohibition was implemented, people started spending this money on their needs. The sale of vegetables, fruits, milk surged, Kumar said, adding that people’s food habits, education and living conditions also improved.
Kumar said in Bihar, 99 percent women and 92-93 percent men were in favor of prohibition. The Chief Minister said that after prohibition, people associated with liquor business should be absorbed in any work. For this, they are being helped through the Sustainable Livelihood Scheme. The production of neera was started in place of toddy. Neera (palm nectar) is good for health. “We formed a self-help group and named it ‘Jeevika’,” Kumar said.
According to officials, the Chhattisgarh delegation praised the efforts and said that due to the strong will power of the Chief Minister, complete prohibition could be implemented in Bihar. Women had been praising prohibition and narrating its benefits, the delegation members said.
