Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced the state would ban the sale of liquor from April 1, 2015, pointing out alcohol's adverse effect on poor families and women, in line with an election promise made by the Grand Alliance. Speaking at an official function to mark Prohibition Day, he said, “Increasing liquor consumption was also a major cause for domestic violence, particularly against women, and had contributed to a rise in crimes. Women are suffering more than anyone else due to increasing liquor consumption.”
“The final modalities are still to be worked out,” Ajay Alok, a spokesperson for Janta Dal (United) told a news channel. Kumar said the poorest of the poor were consuming liquor that was badly hitting their families and children’s education. “Though the government was generating a sizeable amount of revenue, the sale of liquor was having a bad impact on rural households,” he said. “If they are happy, state’s development drive would get the necessary acceleration. We will find ways to make up for the possible Rs 4000 crore loss from this head.”
Kumar had assured women SHGs at a programme that he would impose prohibition if he retained power in the elections, after women's organisations demanded to include the prohibition policy in the government's Vision Document 2025.
Liquor consumption is already prohibited in the states of Gujarat, Kerala, Manipur, and Nagaland. Nitish Kumar's announcement sent stock prices of liquor makers crashing at a time when India has emerged as a hotly-contested market for global drink makers such as Diageo and Pernod Ricard. Shares of United Spirits fell 3.6%, United Breweries was down 2.9% and Radico Khaitan slumped 7.5%.