Fulfilling his poll promise, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced a liquor ban in Bihar with effect from 1st April 2016.
Nitish said the poorest of the poor had been consuming liquor, badly hitting their families and their children’s education.
He hoped that such families are able to save money and spend it on the education and nutrition of their children.
Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh has been instructed to formulate a new liquor policy to implement the ban.
Nitish’s pre-poll promise to impose prohibition was a part of his efforts to cultivate women as a “caste-neutral” constituency, which included welfare schemes like 50 percent reservation for women in panchayat bodies and bicycle schemes for school girls.
The recent assembly elections saw a huge turnout of women voters.
Prohibition in India exists in the states of Gujarat, Nagaland and parts of Manipur; as well as the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. Kerala is implementing prohibition in phased manner. All other Indian states and union territories permit the sale of alcohol.
Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Mizoram and Tamil Nadu have previously enforced, but later repealed prohibition.