DNA Special: Why Bihar continues to reel under hooch tragedies despite blanket ban on liquor?

At least 21 people have died after consuming spurious liquor in Bihar's Chhapra and many people are undergoing treatment. The sale and consumption of alcohol are banned in Bihar.

In our country, when there is a ban on such an item, it gives birth to a new system in which the same goods are available at a higher price in the black market. The same thing is happening in Bihar despite a ban on alcohol for the last six years. 

The decision to impose a complete ban on liquor was taken to reduce deaths due to the consumption of alcohol. But the truth is different from this. After the prohibition on alcohol, the business of poisonous liquor has increased. This is the reason why the sale of illegal liquor has increased in the dry state. 

According to data, about 16.65 lakh litres of illegal liquor has been seized from Bihar in the last 12 months. In this, 9.75 lakh litres of foreign liquor is made in India, while 6.90 lakh litres of liquor is countrymade. In October 2022 only, about 2.56 lakh litres of illicit liquor were seized from all over Bihar.

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According to a press release from Bihar Police, there are five districts in the state where illegal liquor was seized in large quantities. These are Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Vaishali, Samastipur, and then Patna, the capital of Bihar.

This means, liquor is available illegally to the rich in Bihar, and those who have less money are being killed by drinking poisonous liquor. It also shows that the liquor mafia is active in Bihar, and is providing all kinds of domestic and foreign liquor to the people at a high cost.