Patna: Bihar's prohibition, excise and registration minister Madan Sahni on Sunday alleged that total prohibition has not been fully successful in the state due to the alleged connivance of sections of the police with the liquor mafia. Citing lack of cooperation from the police, he claimed that the director general of police (DGP) neither attended a recent review meeting on prohibition enforcement nor responded to his phone calls.
Minister's Allegations
Sahni further alleged that common villagers have begun pointing fingers at the police force for their suspicious role. Bihar imposed total prohibition in April 2016. Talking to a section of media, Sahni criticised the police after they were allegedly caught escorting a van loaded with over four quintals of ganja coming from Nepal, in Madhubani district on Saturday. The contraband was said to be dispatched to Vaishali. Later, four policemen were arrested for their role, reports said.
“I don’t think the Bihar police administration is serious towards enforcing the total liquor ban...Agar aisa hota to police itna badnaam nahin hoti (Had it been so, the police would not have earned so much infamy),” Sahni told reporters on Sunday, adding, “Somewhere the police have connivance with the liquor mafia”. He said the DGP needs to pay attention to this serious issue although “I don’t know what is the real intention of the DGP”.
DGP's Absence at Meetings
He said recently he held a meeting over enforcing liquor ban with the officials from the railways, airport, and SSB but the DGP didn’t join it. “Later I called up the DGP thrice, but he neither picked up my calls nor did he call back,” the minister said, adding the recovery of liquor by the excise department is much more than that of the police. “We are not receiving the level of support from the police that is required for effective enforcement of prohibition,” he said.
The minister said during the meeting it was highlighted that the DGP should also discuss enforcing the total liquor ban during his routine meeting over maintaining law and order situation in the state. He wondered over the way the common women have now begun complaining about the police’s role in enforcing liquor ban while “the former CM had enforced the ban on the demand of the protesting women force”.
The DGP was not available for comments, nor did he respond to message sent on his mobile.
NFHS Data Shows Rising Alcohol Consumption
A recent report of the National Family Health Survey highlighted the rise in alcohol consumption in Bihar despite enforcement of liquor ban. According to data from the National Family Health Survey-6, about 16.5% of men aged 15 and above consumed alcohol in 2023-24. This was slightly up from 15.5% in the NFHS-5, which was conducted in 2019-21. The NFHS-6 also found that 0.4% of women in the state consumed alcohol despite the ban.
Stay updated with the latest Patna news. Download the TOI App.
About the Author: Manoj Chaurasia is a senior political journalist having experience of working for top national and international media in a career spanning over 25 years. He loves writing political, offbeat and human-interest stories.
