Liquor ban will remain implemented in Bihar, says JD-U chief

Amid criticism over failure of implementing liquor prohibition in Bihar, the ruling JD-U's national President Lalan Singh on Saturday said that the ban cannot be reversed.

Interacting with media persons in Patna, he said: "We have law pertaining to murder, still murders take place all over the world. Similarly, liquor prohibition laws will remain in Bihar. We will take strong action against the accused involved in making hooch which led to mass deaths in Bihar."

"As our Chief Minister has already announced a high level assessment meeting on this issue, we will discuss gaps which lead to violation of laws in the state.

"We did speedy trials of the accused and will do the same against the culprits involved in making hooch and killing people. No one will be allowed to go unpunished," he added.

The liquor ban was imposed by the Nitish Kumar government on April 6, 2016. Despite that, its manufacturing, sale, purchase, transportation, and consumption, is still taking place in Bihar.

The police said that 42 persons have been killed since October 29 after drinking spurious liquor - 10 in Muzaffarpur, 13 in Gopalganj, 15 in Bettiah, and 4 in Samastipur. Besides, over three dozen people have lost their eyesight in these districts - IANS