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Essay / Analysis of Alcohol Ban in Bihar, India
Alcohol ban in Bihar was one of the important decisions taken by the Chief Minister of Bihar in favor of the weaker sections of state society. This decision helped to save the income of poor people and use it for family development. A lot of money was invested by the poor in the name of alcohol consumption, leading to violence against women, nuisance in the streets and obstacles to children's education. According to a survey, people of Bihar are so addicted to alcohol that after the ban they continue to bring alcohol from neighboring states and people continue to supply alcohol into the state. A survey carried out by NGO 'PRAYAS' Gramin Samiti, Anisabad, Patna reveals that liquor ban in Bihar has helped village women save their husband's monthly income and promote deposit of income with l help from JEEVIKA groups. At present, they not only deposit money, but also create a granary deposit to help them in case of famine. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has imposed a complete ban on alcohol. The ban came into effect from April 1, 2016. The new prohibition law provides for imprisonment of up to seven years and fine of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for consuming alcohol. In addition, the new law provides for the death penalty for those who engage in the manufacture or trade of illicit alcohol if its consumption results in casualties. The law is described as draconian. Reports suggest that the alcohol ban will cause a huge loss of Rs 6,000 crore to the Bihar exchequer. The ban is a fulfillment of the election promise made by Nitish Kumar before the 2015 assembly elections. Bihar had also tried to implement prohibition when Karpoori Thakur was chief minister in 1977-78, but without success. It is never an easy decision for a state government to declare a ban on alcohol in India. This is mainly because alcohol revenues are not easy to ignore and have historically been the bulwark of government funds. Therefore, when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced that he was going to completely ban alcohol in the state, it came as a surprise to many as the move would lead to huge financial losses for the poor state . According to a report, the state government could face a loss of up to Rs 6,000 crore in the absence of country liquor sales and IMFL. But the Chief Minister forcefully said there was an "overwhelming response" from women and children to the ban and it is difficult to ignore that. The decision to ban was also a fulfillment of Kumar's election promises he had made in 2015. Nitish Kumar termed his government's decision historic. He said, “The government will lose over Rs 4,000 crore in revenue annually, but this is not a revenue-driven decision. » People will now use the money invested in alcohol to add nutrition to their plates, stave off disease and economic ruin. This makes up for any income issues. No hotels, bars or clubs would be allowed to serve drinks, although military personnel would be exempt for now. A ban on drinking grog in public places was also imposed. The state will implement guidelines allowing consumption of neera, the beverage derived from palm trees, before sunrise.