Nitish holds high-level meeting to review prohibition in Bihar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Saturday asked officials to destroy seized stocks of liquor within 15 days and ordered an immediate action against police personnel involved in flouting prohibition law in the state.

He issued the instructions while charing a high-level review meeting on prohibition, at his official residence.

Kumar directed authorities that stocks of alcohol, which were at present lying in police stations and other places, must be disposed off by September 30.

Prohibition law was imposed in the state by the Nitish Kumar government in April 2016.

Taking a grim view of reports of involvement of policemen in flouting the stringent prohibition law, he said such officials had "no right to remain in government service" and called for an "immediate action" against them by the superintendents of police concerned.

Taking note of the fact that after prohibition, liquor was being smuggled into Bihar primarily from states like Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh, Kumar asked officials to try and "trace out the source".

"Liquor is also being brought through waterways, especially in districts like Vaishali, Chhapra (Saran) and Patna. District police chiefs concerned should sit together and find a way out", the chief minister was quoted as saying in an official release.

He asked officials to keep a watch on those involved in liquor trade prior to the enforcement of complete prohibition in the state two years ago.

Kumar also stressed on the need for monthly review meetings by the DGP, the principal secretary (home), the ADG economic offences wing and the IG (Prohibition).

"Regular meetings will help in sorting out any problem that crops up in the implementation of liquor ban," he said, adding that meetings should be held on a fortnightly basis in all districts by the respective DMs and SPs to keep "a tight watch on prohibition scenario".

He also said a campaign would be launched on October 2, on Mahatama Gandhi's birth anniversary for "creating moral awareness about the need for abstinence from alcohol".

Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar, DGP K S Dwivedi, Princiapl Secretary (Home, Prohibition and Excise) Amir Subhani and Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Chanchal Kumar attended the meeting among others.

All zonal IGs, divisional commissioners, DIGs of respective ranges, DMs and SPs were also connected through video conferencing.