Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday called the people who drink alcohol as "sinners" while adding that it is considered a sin by Mahatama Gandhi, after the state legislative assembly passed Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
Speaking at the Bihar legislative assembly, Kumar said, "Somebody went to drink alcohol and died after drinking poisonous liquor, alcohol is bad. Liquor ban should be implemented."
"Mahatma Gandhi has also said that it is bad to drink alcohol and he who does not listen to Bapu is a great sinner," the chief minster said.
Laws are made but no one follows them, he further stated.
The Bihar assembly on Wednesday introduced and passed an amendment bill that seeks to make the liquor ban less stringent for first-time offenders in the state.
According to the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2022, first-time offenders will get bail from the duty magistrate after depositing a fine.
However, if the person fails to pay it, he or she is liable to face a one-month jail term.
The Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016, was enacted to ban the manufacture, trade, storage, transportation, sale, and consumption of liquor in the state.
This is the third amendment in the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016.
As per the latets amendment bill, moveable and immoveable assets of arrested liquor traders would be confiscated while frequent drinkers would be fined as well as imprisoned.
Vehicles used for the liquor trade would also be confiscated and will be later auctioned.
A large number of people are in jail only for liquor consumption and the majority of them belong to economically weaker sections of society.
The Supreme Court had also remarked last year that the liquor law was impacting the functioning of the judiciary in Bihar with 14-15 Patna high court judges only hearing the bail pleas relating to arrests made under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act.
