Patna, March 2 Union minister Chirag Paswan emphasized the need to review Bihar's prohibition law, which has been in place for over a decade, stating that its implementation should be "tightened" by identifying and addressing any loopholes.
Speaking to reporters in Patna on Sunday, Paswan said the law should be assessed to determine whether it has achieved the objectives for which it was enacted.
"There is a need to review whether the objectives with which the law was enacted are being fulfilled, and if not, the loopholes need to be identified and fixed," he said.
Paswan clarified that calling for a review should not be misinterpreted as advocating for the repeal of prohibition.
"When we talk about a review, there is often a misconception that we are talking about lifting the ban on alcohol. I believe that for any scheme to improve over time, it needs to be continuously reviewed," he said.
Paswan, who is the national president of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), said he fully supports efforts to curb alcoholism, noting that addiction adversely affects families and society.
He recalled that when the JD(U) government led by Nitish Kumar introduced prohibition, his party supported the move despite being in the opposition at the time.
"The idea of prohibiting the consumption and manufacture of liquor is socially appropriate," he said.
However, Paswan pointed to recurring deaths caused by the consumption of spurious liquor and allegations of "home delivery" of alcohol in the state.
"We often hear about deaths caused by spurious liquor. If such incidents are still happening, it means poisonous liquor is being manufactured somewhere," he said.
Paswan maintained that these concerns warrant a comprehensive review of the law's enforcement mechanism to plug gaps and ensure its intended impact.
During the Budget session of the Bihar assembly, LJP(RV) MLA Madhav Anand had also demanded a review of the prohibition policy. While leaders of the JD(U) ruled out any reconsideration of the law, reactions from the BJP have been mixed so far.
