NDA Allies Chirag Paswan And Jitan Ram Manjhi Push For Review Of Bihar Liquor Ban Amid Enforcement Claims

Patna: Amid claims by Bihar government that several steps have been taken for strict enforcement of prohibition law in the state, NDA`s allies like union ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan are pushing for the review of liquor ban law.

Addressing a press conference organised by the state prohibition excise and registration department on Monday, deputy chief minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said that the government had taken several initiatives to enforce the prohibition law strictly in the state. According to the government's report, a total of 1,137,731 cases were registered under the prohibition law between April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2026. During this period, 1,718,058 individuals were arrested.

Yadav said that the state government was utilising modern technology to curb liquor smuggling as 42 drones and 12 high-speed motorboats had been deployed for surveillance in the ‘diara’ (riverine) areas.

Similarly, 84 checkpoints have been established across the state, 67 of which are inter-state checkpoints. All checkpoints are equipped with CCTV cameras. By March 2026, nearly 98 percent of the seized illicit liquor had been destroyed.

Before Yadav, chief minister Samrat Choudhary had asserted that the prohibition law would continue to exist in the state as the government would take firm action against the violators.

Speaking on the prohibition law, union minister and LJP (RV) chief Chirag Paswan said that the government's objective behind the prohibition law was not flawed but there were several shortcomings in its implementation. “Hooch tragedies have devastated several families, making it evident that the effective enforcement of the law remains a challenge,” he remarked.

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Earlier, union minister and HAM leader Jitan Ram Manjhi said that the new government had been formed only a few days ago, exuding confidence that the new leadership would conduct a comprehensive review of the prohibition law. “The new chief minister will make a decision after carefully weighing the pros and cons,” he added.

Manjhi said that while prohibition was a sound policy in principle, its implementation needed to be improved significantly. He emphasised that the liquor policy should be thoroughly reviewed, and its implementation mechanisms must be rectified. Earlier, Rashtriya Lok Morcha MLA Madhav Anand had also called for a comprehensive review of the liquor ban in the state while referring to revenue losses.