BJP to oppose new Excise Bill in Bihar

The Opposition in Bihar is likely to oppose the Prohibition and Excise Bill 2016. The bill was circulated to members of Bihar Assembly on Friday. According to Opposition leaders in the state, the bill has many points which reflect “dictator type mindset of the state government.” Opposing the bill, the senior BJP leader, Sushil Kumar Modi, released a statement on Saturday saying that the new liquor bill seems tough and will target mostly those who are poor. The bill also has provision to prosecute adult family members of a person who is caught consuming liquor in Bihar and the government may confiscate the property if liquor is found in the premises. “Such laws are not there for those people who commit murder and rapes in Bihar. This bill will impose police rule in the state and only poor people will become victim of this law,” Mr Modi said.

According to sources, RJD, which is a coalition partner of the JD (U) in Bihar, may also not agree to this and is likely to put pressure on the chief minister to withdraw such clauses from the bill which could create trouble for the party. Earlier, several RJD legislators who had congratulated the chief minister for imposing ban on liquor in Bihar had opposed the move. The Prohibition and Excise Bill 2016 is likely to be tabled on Monday.

“We cannot accept this bill and we would ask the government to make amendments in it,” Sushil Kumar Modi said on Saturday.

There are also reports that the state government was planning a u-turn on toddy. The state government had imposed a ban on toddy shortly after prohibition on liquor was imposed in the state. Ban on liquor was imposed in Bihar on April 5, 2015 and so far more than 5000 persons including businessmen and political leaders have been arrested for consuming liquor in Bihar.

There are reports that people from Bihar are crossing over to neighboring states to buy and consume liquor. Few new liquor outlets have come up on the borders of Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh where sale of liquor is said to have grown after the imposition of ban in Bihar.