Bihar directs police officials to destroy seized liquor by end of Sept

Patna, September 17: With the aim of destroying liquor, the state government of Bihar has directed the police officials to destroy all seized liquor stored in different police stations and other godowns by September 30. With this, the officials have also been ordered to ensure that in future any consignment of illegal liquor recovered during raids across the state should be destroyed within 15 days of seizure.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar gave this instruction at a review meeting on prohibition, in Patna. Senior excise, state police, and home department officials were present at the meeting. Referring to the regular seizure of illegal liquor, the Chief Minister said the administration should be alert in checking the source of liquor smuggling, adding that alcohol was being brought illegally from Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, and some other states.

“The source of illegal liquor flow in the state must be identified so that those involved in bootlegging and smuggling could be brought to book,” the CM said. On reports that illegal liquor was being transported to different districts by the river route, CM Nitish Kumar directed the SPs of Vaisali, Saran, and Patna to hold coordination meetings and strengthen river police stations so that the clandestine trade could be checked.

The Chief Minister said that the accountability of river police stations should be fixed so that smuggling of liquor though this route is stopped. He also instructed officials to keep a close watch on people who were earlier engaged in liquor trade like distributors, retailers, and vendors.

Besides, the CM Nitish Kumar asked officials to intensify campaign for prohibition to mark the 150 birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2. He told them, especially the DMs and SPs, to hold meetings and review the implementation of the liquor ban in their respective districts fortnightly and take action against policemen who fail to implement it in their area.