Alcohol Ban in India: Nitish Kumar Pitches for Nationwide Prohibition on Liquor Sale, Says ‘It Will Decrease Incidents of Domestic Violence’
According to reports, the Bihar Chief Minister said that due to the ban, the state has not only recovered from the initial losses but revenue from other household consumption items has gone up. Kumar further added saying that the income earlier spent on liquor is now getting diverted to family requirements.
Patna, February 17: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday called for a nationwide ban of alcohol claiming that the ban on liquor in the state since 2016 has not made his state poorer. According to a report by TOI, the Bihar Chief Minister said that due to the ban, the state has not only recovered from the initial losses but revenue from other household consumption items has gone up. Kumar further added saying that the income earlier spent on liquor is now getting diverted to family requirements.
While speaking at a convention of the Liquor Free India campaign, Kumar said that those who cite revenue loss for not going ahead with liquour prohibition, are nothing but bogus claims. Stating Bihar’s example, Kumar also sought a pan India movement to seek a ban on online pornography. He stated that in 2015-16 the revenue from liquor was around Rs 5000 crores and a year after prohibition was implemented in 2016, an assessment of revenue loss on account of liquor was just about Rs 1000 crores. Liquor Ban in Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot Dispels Rumours of Alcohol Prohibition, Says 'Consumption Highest in Gujarat Despite Ban'.
The Chief Minister sees prohibition of alcohol as an achievement of his government that he wants to showcase before the country as the state is due for assembly elections later this year. Kumar said after the ban of alcohol the state, revenue started going up on things like milk, sweets clothes and several other things. Adding further, he said that the ban has resulted in better health outcomes a decrease in domestic violence.
In India, alcohol remains banned in the state of Gujarat, Bihar, Nagaland, Mizoram and Lakshadweep. According to the TOI report, Kumar shared that a team from Rajasthan recently visited Bihar to study the execution of prohibition. He also shared concerns over people going to neighbouring states for getting alcohol to evade the ban in Bihar.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 17, 2020 01:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).