📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Prime Minister's Office
Politics
Bihar Government Launches New Alcohol-Free Drive Ten Years After Prohibition
✍️ Amar Ujala · Bihar
🗓 10 Nov 2026, 05:46 PM
👁 16
The Samrat Chaudhary‑led administration has begun a statewide campaign to curb illicit drinking, marking a fresh push ten years after the state imposed total prohibition.
Ten years after Bihar announced a complete ban on alcohol, the state government under Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary has rolled out a dedicated "Nashamukti" (alcohol‑free) campaign. The initiative aims to intensify monitoring of illegal liquor production and consumption that persisted despite the formal prohibition.
Officials said the campaign will involve surprise raids on suspected dens, stricter penalties for offenders, and a public awareness drive highlighting health and social harms of illicit brews. Mobile units equipped with testing kits will be deployed across districts to detect and seize contraband alcohol.
The government hopes that a coordinated effort, backed by community volunteers and local NGOs, will finally curb the underground market that has flourished since the ban. Early reports suggest a modest drop in arrests related to illegal drinking in districts where the campaign has been active.
While the move has been welcomed by temperance groups, opposition parties caution that enforcement must be consistent and that rehabilitation support for dependent users should accompany punitive measures. The administration has pledged additional funding for de‑addiction centers as part of the broader strategy.
Officials said the campaign will involve surprise raids on suspected dens, stricter penalties for offenders, and a public awareness drive highlighting health and social harms of illicit brews. Mobile units equipped with testing kits will be deployed across districts to detect and seize contraband alcohol.
The government hopes that a coordinated effort, backed by community volunteers and local NGOs, will finally curb the underground market that has flourished since the ban. Early reports suggest a modest drop in arrests related to illegal drinking in districts where the campaign has been active.
While the move has been welcomed by temperance groups, opposition parties caution that enforcement must be consistent and that rehabilitation support for dependent users should accompany punitive measures. The administration has pledged additional funding for de‑addiction centers as part of the broader strategy.