Nitish Kumar calls upon women to destroy liquor factories

Upbeat over the tremendous public response over the liquor ban in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday gave a call to women to destroy 'liquor bhattis' (local liquor factories) and said his administration will help them in it.

"If women came to know about the country liquor manufacturing units, they should not hesitate to destroy them. For this, common people to local administration will help and support them," Nitish Kumar said at a function in flood-prone Saharsa in Kosi region.

Nitish Kumar has termed the complete ban on liquor as a social change, claiming that except a few westernised people, all favoured it.

He said women were the main strength to ensure the implementation of complete liquor ban in the state.

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

He said if complete liquor ban was possible in Bihar, it could be possible in neighbouring Jharkhand as well.

He also said that after Bihar, he would go to Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal to launch a campaign for complete liquor ban there.

"There is increasing demand from the women of these states for a complete liquor ban in their states on the line of Bihar," Nitish Kumar said.

The Bihar government announced a total liquor ban effective from April 5.

Nitish Kumar also justified his government's ban on selling traditional toddy drink, refuting the opposition charges that with toddy-ban, the state government had deprived the Pasi community of their livelihood.

--IANS

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