Ajit Sharma has alleged that liquor is offered at a value two-three occasions larger than the unique value
After the Nationwide Household Well being Survey-5 not too long ago reported that in ‘dry’ Bihar, individuals are consuming extra liquor than different States resembling Maharashtra, State Congress Legislature Get together chief Ajit Sharma on Wednesday wrote a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar demanding that prohibition legal guidelines be scrapped.
In his letter, Mr. Sharma, Congress MLA from Bhagalpur, mentioned prohibition, which was imposed in 2016, in actual fact, had by no means been absolutely carried out on the bottom. He alleged that liquor had been accessible at a value two-three occasions larger than the unique value. Liquor ban within the State had grow to be a instrument to mint cash for these concerned within the unlawful commerce of it, he charged within the letter.
“There’s a nexus of police, bureaucrats and liquor mafia for funnelling liquor bottles within the State from outdoors. The State authorities has been going through a income loss to the tune of ₹4,000-5000 crore yearly due to this,” Mr. Sharma mentioned. “If prohibition needs to be imposed it ought to be carried out strictly. In any other case, the ban be lifted and the income which the State authorities would earn may very well be used to arrange industries and supply employment,” he wrote.
‘Revolutionary choice’
Nevertheless, NDA leaders slammed Mr. Sharma for writing such a letter demanding that prohibition legal guidelines be scrapped. “Prohibition was a revolutionary choice of the NDA authorities which introduced peace and tranquillity in villages. It additionally curbed crime towards girls and empowered girls in Bihar. There isn’t any query of lifting ban on prohibition,” mentioned JD(U) chief and spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan.
BJP MLC and social gathering spokesperson Sanjay Mayunkh too echoed the identical. “Prohibition was a acutely aware choice of NDA led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and it’ll not be scrapped, let the Congress leaders write such letters to the Chief Minister.”
Not too long ago, the Nationwide Household Well being Survey-5 had reported that in Bihar 15.5 % males and 0.4% girls above 15 years nonetheless eat alcohol, which is larger than States like Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir the place solely 13.9 and eight.8% males eat alcohol.
Earlier, Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and social gathering spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari too had taken a jibe over the problem and mentioned that “now after this nationwide pattern survey, the Bihar authorities ought to make a rethink over prohibition. The nationwide survey has substantiated what our social gathering leaders have been saying for a very long time that liquor is house–delivered within the State.”