Bihar liquor ban has given new direction to country: Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said the complete ban on liquor in his state has given a new direction to the entire country.

In a historic move, the Bihar government imposed a complete ban on sale of any kind of liquor in the state starting April 1.

"A total ban on liquor in Bihar has given a new direction to the entire country," Nitish Kumar said at a function in Araria district.

He said his government has laid the foundation for social change in Bihar with the liquor ban.

Nitish Kumar said after Bihar banned liquor, impressed by the measure, voices have been heard in other states as well for a similar ban.

He said people in neighbouring Jharkhand have demanded the liquor ban in their state and DMK chief Karunanidhi and AIADMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in the poll-bound state have promised to ban liquor if they are elected to power.

Banning liquor was one of the main poll promises of the Grand Alliance during the Bihar assembly elections. Experts say the ban would cost the state government a whopping Rs.4,000 crore in revenue annually.