Nitish Kumar claims liquor ban resulted in economic prosperity of Bihar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday claimed liquor ban has resulted in economic prosperity of the state as reflected in an “upswing” in the sale of cars and tractors, milk and sweets in the last seven months since prohibition came into force.

“Citizens are spending the money they saved after leaving their drinking habit for good things which in turn is yielding more revenue for the state which it previously got through liquor sale,” he told a ‘Chetna Sabha’.

Kumar’s critics had earlier said the liquor ban would lead to an annual revenue loss of Rs 5,000 crore for the state. Launching the third phase of ‘Nishchay Yatra’, the Chief Minister said prohibition has brought a major social change, particularly in rural areas.

With Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and state police chief P K Thakur present on the dais, he claimed that crime rate has slided significantly in Bihar after prohibition came in force, while sale of cars and tractors recorded an increase of 29 per cent. Sale of motorcycles and tempos registered an increase of 31.6 per cent in the last seven months.

The Chief Minister also said sale of milk during the period increased by 11 per cent while that of sweets like rasgulla by 16.25 per cent, gulab jamun by 15 per cent, peda by 15.5 per cent.

Honey manufactured by state diary cooperative – Sudha increased by a whopping 380 per cent in the past seven months since prohibition came into force in Bihar in April this year, he said.