Patna, Apr 18: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday announced to pay ₹4 lahks for the kin of victims who died in the hooch tragedy in Bihar’s East Champaran district only if the families provided in writing that they were in favor of Bihar's alcohol ban.

 

 

 

Nitish Kumar said, “This is a sad incident. We'll provide ₹4 lakhs to the families of the deceased, from the CM relief fund but they should provide in writing that they are in favor of the alcohol ban in the state and that they're against drinking alcohol.”

 

 

 

The Nitish Kumar government banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in Bihar in 2016. As of Monday morning, the death toll in the liquor tragedy rose to 26, and 20 others were undergoing treatment. Bihar Police has said that over 25 people have been arrested in the case. Strict disciplinary action has been taken against 11 police personnel and SHOs of 4 police stations have been suspended for dereliction of duty. The Opposition parties in Bihar including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have criticized the Nitish Kumar-led government for not being able to control hooch tragedies. The leader of the Opposition in the state Vijay Kumar Sinha said on Sunday, “It is carnage due to the inability of the administration to check spurious liquor from reaching the people. During the RJD regime, Bihar was infamous for massacres. Now, it is a different kind of carnage and chief minister Nitish Kumar should take moral responsibility for this. The kin of the victims should be given compensation, as it was not their fault. It is the failure of the administration. Had the government learned lessons from the Saran hooch tragedy and taken prompt action, such a situation would not have arisen.”

 

Also Read: Death toll in Chhapra Hooch tragedy rises to 70 

 

In December last year after the hooch tragedy in Bihar's Saran district, Nitish Kumar said that the tragedy was an example of how drinking alcohol leads to death. He also faced severe backlash from the opposition for losing his temper in the state assembly after continuous attacks from opposition members and saying, “Sharabi ho gaye ho tum” (You all have become drunkards).