Mumbai : Maharashtra Excise and Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse on Friday denied any immediate move on part of the BJP-led government to impose prohibition in the entire state. “We need to get public opinion on any such proposal, only after which the government must take the initiative. As of now, there is no such plan, at least for the next three months,” Khadse said. He was referring to media reports quoting officials as saying that the Devendra Fadnavis government was considering imposing prohibition in the wake of similar announcement by the Bihar government.
Minister of State for Excise Dilip Kamble also denied any such proposal but said strict orders have been issued to curb production and sale of illicit liquor in Maharashtra. The media speculation possibly started after Kamble had a meeting with representatives of social organization Astitva in Mantralaya. There were demands to ban liquor in Buldhana district and hence the minister had held the meeting but the media saw in it the possible prospects of an imminent ban on liquor. Prohibition is already in force in at least three districts of Wardha, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur, while demands have been made for the inclusion of Yavatmal and Buldhana districts as well. Gujarat, Nagaland, Manipur (in some parts), and Lakshadweep have banned liquor while Kerala has been implementing the ban in phases. On Thursday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced a ban on country liquor from April 1. He had said he was fulfilling a promise he had made to a group of angry women before the Assembly elections in the state.