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A rethink is out of the question, Nitish Kumar said, adding that the loss of revenue can't be the reason for a ban in phases."It is easier to announce such a decision than enforce it, but seeing the enthusiasm and excitement among women over this announcement, we've decided to go ahead," said the Chief Minister.
Prohibition was the first major announcement by Mr Kumar after he was sworn in as Chief Minister for the fifth time last month following an emphatic election victory. It was a promise he had made at a public event in April to a group of angry women who had complained about liquor addiction in villages.
"These women are correct about alcohol. If I come to power, I will have it stopped," Mr Kumar had said then.
Reports that came out after the announcement quoted bureaucratic sources as saying that since the most harm was done by the country liquor, only this sector would be banned in the first instance. Moreover, the revenue loss due to this ban would be expected to be minimal. The Bihar government earned nearly Rs. 3,500 crores (Rs. 35 billion) last year through taxes on the sale of alcohol.
The Chief Minister did raise the question on the possibility of smuggling. He said that the biggest challenge in enforcing an alcohol ban was smuggling from neighbouring states like Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal, according to NDTV.
In a State where flip flop policies are common, it is rather comical that the excise department went into an expansionist mode in 2007 following the new excise policy and started issuing licences for marketing liquor across the state, ostensibly to increase revenues in the State. In 2014-15, the government managed Rs. 3,650 crores in revenues, a growth of more than 10 times over Rs. 319 crores recorded in 2005-06, before the new policy was put in place.
The Chief Minister did not elaborate on how they propose to meet the shortfall and how the will control the sale of illicit liquor or even people dying from hooch that will inevitably be made.
Many still don’t consider this happening at all. Only time will tell since it is premature to guess the outcome.
For the earlier Article, please visit: Prohibition in Bihar from April Next Year |